


Buried Truth's Uncovered: Part 2

by Shadow777997



Series: Buried Truth's Uncovered [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abusive Dursley Family (Harry Potter), Ancient spirits, Anxiety Attacks, Aspiring Alchemist Harriet, Budding Rune master Draco, Draco continues to be the best friend, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Harriet Has PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, LGBTQ Female Character, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Mentor Nicholas Flamel, Mentor Severus Snape, Multi, Protective Sirius Black, Referenced Childhood Trauma, Sane Tom Riddle, Tom Riddle is Tom Slytherin, Traumatized Female Harry Potter, emotional blackmail
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:33:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25264657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow777997/pseuds/Shadow777997
Summary: Harriet and the gang are back to Hogwarts for year two.Expect: an idiotic Gilderoy Lockheart making a fool of himself, Manipulative Dumbledore being an asshole, revelations being made, laws of alchemy and charms being broken by a 12 year old, discussions about runes popping up, Tom planning a government takeover, an overprotective Snape in defense of his snakes.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/It's a surprise, Female Harry Potter/It's a surprise, Hermione Granger/It's a surprise, Severus Snape/Fire Whiskey
Series: Buried Truth's Uncovered [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1822585
Comments: 41
Kudos: 222
Collections: Dark Liege Potter, Dr. Potter, The Harry Potters, Voldemort beside a Female Potter





	1. Chapter 1: aspiring alchemists, budding rune masters, and plotting old goats

**Author's Note:**

> A fair warning here and now: This story will touch briefly upon some rather serious topics in the last chapter or two before expanding upon them in the later parts of the series. Including the fact that Harriet has several associated mental traumas from her childhood growing up with the Dursley's for a decade. 
> 
> The previous brief mentions of any anxiety and nervousness in the first part of the series are there for a reason and will be expanded upon more briefly towards the end of year two and much more in year 3 and 4. Harriet's not perfect by any sense of the word and she's got the internal scars from her past to show it. It's part of who she is as a person and will be a very big part of her character in the future of this series.
> 
> Also the mention of the last few tags above for this story compared to the last are there for a reason. Dumbledore in this series is NOT a good person at the end of the day and it shows with increasing frequency in the next year or 2 once year 2 ends. If you don't like the idea of him doing some very morally dark things then this story really isn't going to be fore you once part 2 wraps up. 
> 
> Rest assured though that those of you who end up deciding to stick with this series long enough will enjoy when Snape and Tom finally get to reap a bit of vengeance lol.

It was the welcoming feast of Harriet’s second year at Hogwarts. Draco and Hermione were talking heatedly about the books on ancient runes Draco had mentioned spending the entire summer reading about. The boy’s budding interest in the subject the prior year had grown into a near obsession of the topic that mirrored Her own love of Alchemy and Charms.

“Honestly Draco, you should consider talking with Professor Babbling about it. Maybe she’d tutor you in the subject early like Professor Prince is doing for Harriet with Alchemy?” Hermione implored their friend, feeling he should embrace his academic interest in the subject.

“You could have a point Granger. I’ll ask Professor Prince about it tomorrow. Who knows if it’d even be allowed officially? Black’s kinda the unspoken exception to the rule after all, seeing as alchemy’s barely ever actually offered in the first place here. Besides, our regular workload is only supposed to get larger this year as it is. I don’t want to even picture the extra work runes would add to it. Harriet’s driving herself ragged as it is with alchemy and she’s only just going to get into more complex stuff this year. Probably her Black madness shining through again.” She just stuck her tongue out at her blonde friend doubting her sanity regarding her work.

“It’s not madness to want to work hard at something you’re passionate about Draco. Besides I’ve already started working on the spell Professor Prince signed off on over the summer for me to try using to earn my Mastery at the end of third year. Professor Flitwick’s even approved my charms bracelet being used for my Charms Mastery once school lets out for Yule.” She had a smug grin on her face as her two friend’s mouths fell open.

“Harriet! That would qualify you as the youngest dual mastery in the History of the ministry! No one’s ever completed their mastery at even twice your age! Let alone for something as complex as charms or alchemy. I think Professor Prince the only one that’s ever come close with his Potions Mastery at the age of 25.” Hermione looked downright jealous of her pulling off something that advanced before their second year had even officially begun. The other Slytherins’ were looking at her like she’d just told them she was planning to run for Minister of Magic the next day.

“What? I like charms and alchemy. They’re neat.” At that the rest of the table broke down laughing at the young heiress. She felt her face heat up slightly at their amusement.

It was then that Professor Dumbledore directed their attention to their new Defense teacher. And Harriet immediately felt the familiar urge to set the man’s perfect precious hair on fire. 

Professor Prince, she noticed, seemed to share in the desire to inflict bodily harm upon the self obsessed moronic man. She saw the look of disgust on Hermione’s friend and was thankful that neither of them would be fawning over the man anytime soon.

 _‘Maybe I can convince Professor Prince to let me test my spell on the fool. I’m sure he’d appreciate the academic information such a demonstration would be certain to reveal. Like how well Silk robes burned after being exposed to sub zero water…’_ While the questionably homicidal 12 year old was plotting how her spell would react to being used on the blubbering idiot, her friend’s had both gotten a nervous look in their eyes at the realization that she was almost certainly plotting bodily harm upon someone.

‘ _Oh well. I’m sure Naga will approve of the idea. He loves talking about torturing annoying people.’_

The snake in question had been eyeing greedily a rather large roast in the middle of the table like he was about to lunge after it, if dessert hadn’t been announced and said roast vanished the next moment leaving the viper glaring at her as though she’d been responsible for the wrong of denying his food.

~ **_It’s not my fault! You’ve already eaten enough today anyways before we even boarded the train. How can you still be hungry?!_ **~ He just grumbled about ‘stupid growth spurts’ or something similar while looking annoyed with life.

They’d been dismissed towards their common rooms and warm beds shortly after the last plates had been cleared away.

* * *

The next day had her itching to hex someone the moment she sat down at breakfast and her head of house had passed her Schedule to her for the year. Her first class of the week was double DADA.

‘ _You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!_ ’ To say she was in a foul mood when her two friends had taken to joining her a few minutes later was a tremendous understatement.

“10 sickles on her hexing him before the end of class.” Draco spoke over to Blaise, who they’d gotten somewhat closer with over the last year. The boy was surprisingly knowledgeable when it came to things about rarer branches of magical theory, which she’d found refreshing to talk with him about with Hermione adding her opinion on the subject of the day occasionally. 

The boy just shared a bored look. “I’m not stupid Draco. No way in _hell_ would I bet against anything having to do with her. She’d hex me the moment she was finished with Lockhart.” She just narrowed her eyes at the violet eyed boy in mock annoyance.

“Only if you bet against me Zabini. And even then I’d probably spare you if it was an interesting enough bet in the first place.” That got a laugh out of her friends.

* * *

Draco ended up being the winner of the little bet in the end when halfway through class and Lockheart having released a bunch of Cornish Pixies into the room. She’d ‘accidentally’ hit the man with the stunning spell she’d been aiming at a pixie that had taken to pulling on the fool’s precious hair.

She and her friend’s still managed to earn 10 points for the successful capture of the pixies in the end, so all in all as well a class as could have happened with the idiot. Though Naga did learn personally that Cornish Pixies do not taste very pleasant…


	2. Tests, messages, and study sessions established

It was the first Herbology lesson of the year and they were re-potting Mandrakes that had outgrown their current pots. The Slytherin’s barely restrained their laughter when Weasley had fainted at the sight of the small humanoid plants.

Herriet had just looked over at Draco once she’d buried her own screeching devil-plant-child _thing_ when she noticed Hermione on the boy's other side subtly using a pair of leaf trimmers on her own plant, pocketing the piece of cloth full of leaves she’d already gathered into her robes pocket once she’d folded it up.

‘ _What does she need Mandrake leaves for? Wait...She’s insane?!_ ’ Harriet’s eyes had widened in shock at what her friend was seemingly attempting to pull off. She waited until class had been dismissed at the end of the hour and pulled her friend’s off to the side away from the rest of the students.

“ _ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!”_ She hissed barely remembering to actually stop herself from slipping into Parseltongue.

“What do you mean?” Draco looked between the two confused.

“Our dear bookworm here was pocketing mandrake leaves!” The blonde’s eyes widened at the dots connecting in his mind.

“You’re going to be attempting _that_?! Do you even realize how risky it is?! Not to mention illegal! You could end up stuck as an animal for good!” He barely refrained from shouting.

“I’m well aware of the risk. Professor McGonagall herself okay-ed it. She’s going to be guiding me through the process, step by step and making sure nothing goes wrong at all. She’s talked about the reduced risk for me going through the process because of my skill in Transfiguration. I wouldn’t even think about risking something this potentially disastrous if I wasn’t 100% certain it could be achieved.” Harriet had calmed day a bit at the mention of their stern Professor helping her friend at least.

“Okay. If you’re sure this is what you want to go through with then, we’ll be behind you, right Draco?” Turning to look at their friend who nodded his head firmly at the question. 

“100% of the way. We’re your friends Hermione. You’re not getting rid of us just for a touch of Gryffindor level risk taking.” The three broke out in hysterics at the comparison.

* * *

September pressed on with Draco’s assumption of their workload only increasing being proven correct. Professor Prince had taken to driving every subject regarding basic and even advanced Alchemical application, science, and theorem that he could into her skull during their weekly lessons.

She’d mentioned the dueling club posted in the common room earlier in the day and he’d mentioned casually about Lockhart being behind it and that her head of house would be serving as his assistant. The look he passed her when he mentioned those facts resulted in a rather sadistic smile at the notion of her Professor throwing the man around the hall like a rag-doll and making him over all look like a complete idiot to his enduring fans.

“Perhaps, Miss Black, you can apply the practical portion of your spell’s hypothesis in a such a controlled environment after all.” 

“Of course sir. I look forward to witnessing the effects it has on an actual test subject in person.”

Hence how she and the rest of Slytherin house found themselves alongside Gryffindor house as Professor Prince indeed made quick work of their bumbling instructor.

“I believe a practical demonstration would suit the students better, Gilderoy. Perhaps between Black and Weasley?”

“Ah- yes! Quite right Professor Prince. I was about to suggest the very same thing!”

She stepped up to the mark across from Weasley who looked smug at the opportunity to possibly hex her after Naga had embarrassed him last year. 

“Remember Black: Practical application only. No need to permanently injure the boy. A simple stunner should suffice before leading up to the actual charm itself.” He muttered close to her ear as she nodded her head along to his advice.

“Wands ready!”

“Flipendo!” Weasley sent off an overpowered attempt of a knockback jinx that she dodged out of the way of.

“Well that wasn’t very nice Weasley. Stupefy.” She flicked her wrist in the slightly modified motion that she’d read in her notes from her head of house’ birthday gift over the summer, resulting in the stunner leaving Weasley still standing as he was left dazed. 

Thankful that she’d taken the time to vigorously practice her charm over the break enough that she could cast it with only a vastly simplified motion of her wand instead of the more complex motion she would have needed otherwise, she traced a small, quick triangle in the air before calling out the incantation she’d thought long about instilling the proper intent behind for her spell to function.

“Nigrum Furor!” A bolt of swirling, liquid looking light shot out of the end of her wand and struck Weasley in the chest. 

The result was better than she could have hoped for when she’d spent the last 3 months making her adjustments. The boy’s skin seemed to ripple briefly as it visibly underwent the most dazzlingly and morbid example of alchemical elemental transmutation she’d ever seen... 

His knees and elbows visible stiffened as she assumed they had developed the layer of stone over his skin that would leave him unable to move which would only spread a few inches from his four joints, as his hands started shaking from the slowly developing patches of blue that had spread up his fingers as though they were plunged into a vat of ice cold water for too long. He was stuck with an unseen gust of near gale-force wind to the stomach that knocked him to the floor and backwards several feet as his face visibly turned a burning shade of red as the sweat on his nose heated into steam as his face was burned by an unseen blast of heat.

The result was an agonizing and morbid display of all 4 effects of extreme elemental exposure on the body simultaneously.

The crowd of Gryffindors looked on in open horror at their house mate’s suffering while the Slytherins looked more awed than anything and Lockhart looked vaguely afraid of her now.

“Excellent work, Miss Black. 20 points to Slytherin for the successful use of a newly created spell. Now administer the counter potion if you would, I believe Weasley’s endured enough of being a guinea pig wouldn’t you say.” She walked over to the collapsed boy and pried his mouth open before pouring the small bottle of the counter potion she kept in her robes for this very purpose. The charm’s effects immediately cancelled themselves as the potion took effect and Weasley flinched away from her and back to his feat looking terrified of her now.

“What the bloody _hell_?! What did you **do** to me, Black?!” She tilted her head at the boy, looking innocent and confused.

“What do you mean? Professor Prince told me that he’d informed you about being used today as the test subject for my new spell I worked all summer on. I thought you had agreed willingly to it being tested on you along with the potion to counter it.” She knew the man did no such thing but was acting the role of an innocent 12 year old girl and knowing the boy took the bait hook and sinker.

“Wait, that you _created_?! How did you manage something like that?! It felt like I was buried alive and couldn’t move while my skin burned and seemed to freeze at the same time!”

“It’s just a combination of charmwork and Alchemy’s laws on Elemental Transmutation. Professor Prince here has been teaching me about it since the month before Yule last year.” The boy’s eyes widened to the size of golf balls at that.

“He taught you alchemy, and it let you do something like this! That has to be the scariest spell I’ve ever had cast on me. What was it exactly?” She noticed that he actually seemed to look curious about her spell.

‘ _Huh. Maybe Weasley isn’t so foolish after all…_ ’

“I call it the ‘Black Madness charm’. My father was actually the one who helped me figure out the major roadblock I had with it in the planning phase over the summer. Seemed fitting considering our family.” The boy nodded his head at that.

“Huh. Guess now the Black’s really do have a curse of madness don’t they.” She actually laughed at the cheesy joke.

The meeting broke up after that and they all poured out of the great hall.

* * *

“Okay, you’ve officially gone into the category of ‘awesome and slightly terrifying’! Because that spell is most certainly a scary thing to see for the first time let me tell you.” Draco spoke up from in front of the couch she was sitting on in the common room a few minutes later, Hermione nodding her head off to the side.

“Black!” Turning towards Graham Montague who had shouted her name. “You have _got_ to show us how you did that spell! We’ve never seen anything _close_ to it before!”

“Um, w-well I’m not sure if you’d be able to actually cast it seeing as it’s not actually a normal spell, r-really.” At his raised eyebrow she tried to explain what she meant.

“I-It’s a mix of a charm and advanced A-Alchemy. You’d have to think like an alchemist to actually make it work right. I’ve b-been studying the subject with P-Professor Prince for the last year now and that’s the only reason I was able to get it to work in the first place.”

“Could you tutor us then? In learning Alchemy I mean? I didn’t even know Hogwarts offered any class on it since it was never on the list of Extracurricular classes.”

“It’s only really offered when enough students show an interest in it in their 5th year. Plus you have to have an Outstanding in your Potion’s O.W.L.s.” She explained to the boy and their house that had gathered around to hear what she was saying about the subject.

“Then I think I speak for all of us 5th years and above that we’ll definitely be looking into taking the subject this year. Maybe we can talk to Professor Prince about even getting it added to the curriculum permanently. It sounds really useful even if it’s anywhere near as challenging as you explained it as.” She was blushing slightly at the idea of being the reason so many sounded interested in the branch of magic.

“Actually, I could show you this basic spell I picked up from Professor prince last year. It’s a basic version of the same spell I based my charm off of. You basically turn the bluebell flames into a quick freezing ‘glacius’ to immobilize an opponent that will be expecting a basic fire spell instead of the resulting blast of ice that will slip past their shields usually…” And she had settled in for what would become a more than 3 hour lesson on the spell, several of the older students actually managing to successfully cast it in the end.

* * *

It was another two weeks when Harriet found herself sitting on a chair off to the side in the Transfiguration classroom on the morning of an electrical storm as Hermione talked with Professor Mcgonagall about the final step of her month long goal of becoming an animagus.

Draco couldn’t be there that morning since Professor Babbling had her friend take an evaluation on his previously acquired knowledge on ancient runes before determining if she would be tutoring him a year early on the subject.

She was fidgeting with her hands with nerves at the thought of something possibly going wrong, until she felt Naga resting his head across her lap when helped calm her nerves somewhat.

~ **_Thanks._ **~ She hissed quietly at the considerate snake.

~ **_Little Sspeaker does not need to worry about your friend. The girl will be fine…_ **~

~ **_Have you been getting advice on pep talks from Uncle Sev? Because you’re surprisingly good at them too._ **~ She giggled at the similar irritated look in his yellow eyes that reminded her very similarly to the grumpy Potion’s master.

Hearing Professor McGonagall start applauding drew her attention, which had her doing a double take at the sight where her friend had been standing clutching the potion she’d spent the last month preparing.

Only now there was a small brown tabby kitten with slightly longer than normal incisors poking out from under it's top lip, much like her friend's slightly too large front teeth, sitting in the spot Hermione had been. She felt her eyes widen in shock before she promptly broke into a fit of giggles at the small kitten glaring at her reaction.

“I-I’m sorry!” She gasped out as she tried to catch her breath after wiping a tear from the corner of her eye from her amusement. ”It’s just- you have to admit it’s kinda funny ‘mione. I was expecting a raven or a parrot for how smart they are compared to other animals. But this is adorable!” As the raven haired girl broke down laughing hysterically, she missed when the annoyed kitten shifted back into the form of an irritated Hermione Granger. Hence how she ended up on the floor clutching her sides at the tickling spell she’d been hit with a moment later courtesy of her best friend.

“I”M SORRY! Ah! Hermione! Cut it out, I’m SORRY for LAUGHI- LAUGHING!” The bookish girl finally let up the spell after another half a minute.

“I believe, Miss Granger, that your extra credit project was a success. Congratulations. I will be taking you to the ministry tomorrow afternoon for your registration. You should feel proud for accomplishing what so few others have especially at your age.”

* * *

When the two caught up with Draco an hour after his test concluded, it was to the news that Babbling had accepted him for private tutoring and lessons in Ancient Runes. 

“So a newly turned animagus, a budding runes master, and a soon to be Master Alchemist and Sorceress. Not bad for a couple of 2nd years I think.” Hermione spoke up.

“I agree, not bad at all. Now we just have to find a way to keep ourselves occupied next year.” At that they all broke out in laughter.

* * *

Little did any of them know that things were about to take a darker turn in the coming weeks when a message was found burnt into the wall outside the great hall besides the form of Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat hanging from a nearby scone covered in a layer of dark blue enchanted ice. It was then that Harriet knew things were truly beginning to change for the worse as well. 

‘ _The Filthy Blooded Shall Be Purged. His True Glory Shall Be Restored. Enemies of the Dark Lord Tremble…._ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUN!!!!


	3. The Hand of Ice: Part 1

She stood in Filch’s office along with the other staff as the man screeched about his cat being killed.

“Miss Black. Would you care to tell us where you were at dinner this evening?” The accusing gaze of the Headmaster was pointed at her.

“With the other students, Headmaster. I recall seeing her exit the hall when the rest of us were alerted to Argus’ shouts of concern. I assume Argus can attest to the lack of her apparent guilt?”

“He’s right, headmaster. The girl wasn’t there, I didn’t see anyone near my cat!”

Professor Prince waved his wand over the form of Mrs. Norris, before turning towards her.

Miss Black, care to take a guess as to the nature of her affliction?” She stepped forward hesitantly before taking a closer look at the frozen cat. What she could feel from the ice shocked her to her core.

“She’s...alive! And this ice, it’s not a charm is it Professor? It’s…” Looking at the man who she now knew was aware exactly what this spell was, she saw the grimace cross his face before it disappeared.

“Alchemy. And not your average run of the mill spell either. I assure you, Headmaster, that Black is innocent. This spell is far beyond the capabilities of a 2nd year student, even one well versed in alchemical knowledge as she is. This spell was cast not by an alchemist, but something far darker indeed.”

“You’re right, sir. This doesn’t feel anything like a wizard’s magic. It feels…. _older_. Ancient. This stuff isn’t right, whatever did it.”

“Your observations continue to prove astute. Whatever attacked Mrs. Norris is indeed an ancient creature. And a very dangerous one to be let loose within a school. I believe, based on the message, that it is the work of a servant of the Dark Lord himself, seeking to purge the school of those they deem...unworthy.”

“Muggleborns.” She whispered, horrified at the idea that something was going around attacking muggleborn students. That the same monster could go after her best friend.

“But what creature could cause such a thing?” Professor McGonagall spoke up for the first time, sounding horrified as everyone else no doubt was at the revelation that such a creature exists at all.

“What indeed. But a better question, perhaps, is who could possess the skill to control it in the first place…” Professor Prince intoned.

“Whatever it is, I doubt it’s going to stop at a cat Headmaster. Look, I know you don't much care for me at the moment, or my opinion. But even you have to see that the entire school is in danger with this _thing_ running around attacking and freezing people.” She directed her statement to the Headmaster in question who begrudgingly nodded his head in agreement.

“Unfortunately, Miss Black, I do not hold the authority to close the school under such conditions. Unless a student is irrevocably harmed, the board will not allow for it.” Severus knew that was a bold faced lie.

“So a student must _die_?! Albus surely you are not suggesting we all do nothing?” 

“Severus, there is little we _can_ do at the moment. For now, as the leading two authorities on the subject, you and Miss Black will lead the investigation into the exact nature of the creature we are facing. The school will be counting on you both to solve the mystery.” She just gulped when the eyes of the remaining teachers fell on her and the potion’s master.

“”S-so, um, no p-pressure. R-right?” she barely managed to get out, her nerves at an all time high.

‘ _I_ _’m_ **_TWELVE_** _! What the hell am I going to be able to do to figure this crap out?!’_ She was actively trying to fight her internal panic as her head of house lead her back to the Slytherin common room.

“P-Professor, what even _can_ do something like this?” The man had no answer.

* * *

A week had passed before their worries were realized. She was walking towards the library when a loud commotion up ahead drew her attention to the group gathered around something, a sinking feeling settling in her gut.

Pushing past the group, the Slytherins parting the way for her, knowing the responsibility she’d had forced onto her shoulders as well as the rumor going around the Gryffindors that she was somehow guilty of the attacks despite the evidence proving otherwise, they'd been trying to keep the rumors from spreading in whatever way they could.

She took in the frozen form of Justin Finch-Fletchley lying on the floor, the same layer of glistening blue ice covering his skin and a look of horror contorting his face.

‘ _So he **saw** whatever it is! And it was enough to frighten him this badly. What the hell _ **_is_ ** _this thing?!_ ’

“Step aside! I said step aside, _fools_!” The form of Professor Prince appeared from the crowd and noticed the same detail about the boy that she had.

“Professor. He saw it! Look at his face. Whatever attacked him did it face to face and not from an ambush.” At his nod she paused for a second to gather her thoughts before something caught her eye. 

Reaching over the boy and using her wand to shift the sleeve of his robes, she nearly jumped back at what she found.

A hand print was visible indented on the boy’s right arm, it’s fingers appearing skeletal thin as they were wrapped around it, like he’d been grabbed. Meeting the Professor’s eyes, she noticed the shared look of horror and confusion that mimicked her own.

“It’s like he was grabbed when he was attacked. Like the thing that did this….froze him by touch. Like severe frostbite or something.”

“The touch of death!” The man exclaimed suddenly.

“Pardon?” She asked the man, never having heard the term before.

“A spirit that was cursed to suffer a cold induced death is capable of afflicting others with the touch of death, an extremely powerful freezing curse that mimics the effects of a similar alchemical spell.”

“Hoarfrost. Eternal ice. So now we know it’s a type of undead spirit different than the normal ghosts here at school. Question now is: ‘What kind’?”

“Indeed. Perhaps a future career in investigation is more suited towards your talents Miss Black.”

“Nah, I like making charms too much to be a detective.” At that the spell broke over the crowd that started to disperse as soon as Madam Pomfrey appeared with a conjured stretcher to take Justin to the hospital wing.

“Professor? Can you cure it? The touch of death?” He nodded grimly.

“It is well within my skills, yes. But will require several months of brewing to complete the complicated draught that will revive Mr. Fletchley.” She nodded, relieved it was at least possible.

“I’ll keep looking around the library for anything on ‘cursed spirit’s’ or the like. Maybe there’s something there in the end that will shed some light.”

“Do be cautious Miss Black, any spirit that can cause the touch of death is one of extreme danger. Do not rush off on a fool’s hunch if you find anything. Report immediately to my office if you find even the slightest clue.” At her nod the two split up, the Professor returning to the labs to start preparing the draught while she headed to the library in search of hopefully _some_ answer to shine light on this mess.

* * *

The month of November passed into December in tense anticipation from the population of Hogwarts, everyone waiting for the spirit to next strike. She’d told her friend’s everything they’d been able to piece together, with her and Hermione spending every free period between and after classes for the last several weeks in the library searching through tome after ancient tome about anything to do with magical spirits and even the touch of death that they’d found mentioned briefly in a few of the darker tomes from the forbidden section that Professor Prince had given them a pass to scour through in the hopes of it containing any clues as well. 

Draco had taken the chance to assist their head of house with the 'draught of revival' that would lift the touch of death’s effects, knowing the two had the research aspect covered and that he could apply his skills elsewhere.

“This is maddening! How do we even know what to look _for_?! There’s hundreds of types of spirits that this thing could possibly be.” She’d exclaimed one afternoon the week before she’d be leaving a day early before break let out for the holidays in order for Sirius to take her to the ministry of magic for her Charms Mastery exam.

“Maybe taking a small break will help? You’ve been going at this for hours on end Harriet, even you need sleep to function.” Her best friend suggested from behind the mountain of books they’d gone through over the past 4 hours.

“Yeah, maybe you’re right ‘mione. I’ll be back in a bit. I’m gonna go ask Professor Flitwick about the lunar calmness charm. Maybe he’ll have a way to sort out why it’s not taking as well as it should to the metal itself.” She offered, heading to the Charms Professor’s office.

It was half in hour later as they were discussing ways to possibly make the charm’s effect stick to the metal of the small silver charm better without weakening the spell’s effect when Professor Prince burst through the door to the small office looking grief stricken.

“Miss Granger-” She didn’t need to hear another word before she was charging out of the office, the man by her side immediately.

* * *

The sight of her best friend in a hospital bed being tended to by Madam Pomfrey was one she doubted would ever stop plaguing her nightmares.

“Miss Granger was found alone in the middle of the corridor leading to the Charms classroom Miss Black. She was also found clutching this..” The Headmaster then handed her a small folded piece of parchment with one word circled next to a reference about some book or another on ancient spirits. 

_‘Inuit’_

Her eyes widened at the name of the northern tribe known for its deep spiritual folktales.

“She figured it out. Hermione figured out how to narrow down the search for this thing! It’s an Inuit spirit!” 

“Then Miss Granger is lucky to even be alive. Inuit spirit’s are known to be able to trap their victims in a state between this world and the underworld, distorting their sense of awareness.” Professor Prince spoke up, looking deeply worried.

It was then that she noticed a small picture drawn in the corner of the piece of parchment. A picture with eerie red eyes and an oddly slanted mouth. The word ‘shapeshifter’ _underlined_ 3 times in bold ink.

 _'But Hermione never underlines things? She always prefers to circle something that catches her attention..._ '

“I don’t think she just figured out where this thing is from. I think she was on the brink of figuring out exactly **_what_** it was! She was probably on her way to show me this so we could look into it together, two sets of eyes covering more books than one. But it found her first. She knew I would be with Professor Flitwick, hence why she was so close by.” She couldn’t help but feel guilty at the idea that her need for a break had resulted in her closest friend being attacked by some spirit and left frozen. 

“Whatever foolish idea of guilt just wormed its way into your mind, Miss Black. _Kill it_.” her head of house glared at her slightly. “Miss Granger’s current condition is **_not_ ** your fault. Your absence may have very well saved her life.” At her confused look he explained his reasoning.

“The table where the two of you were pouring over the books was discovered to contain traces of dark magic in the air. A dark wizard’s magic. I believe had you and Granger not left the library when you did, neither of you would be alive at the moment.”

“So whoever summoned this thing is trying to keep its identity a secret as long as possible.”

‘ _Well shit..._ ’

“I will bring the books pertaining to Inuit, red-eyed spirits that are in the library here. It would perhaps ease your mind to know that your friend is safe.” At her thankful nod the man turned on his heel and exited the hospital wing along with the other concerned staff, leaving her to her thoughts and her friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Hides from the angry mob* Sorry!


	4. The Hand of Ice: Part 2

She spent the week before Yule break by Hermione’s bedside, having been excused from her classes in light of her friend being attacked and the fact she was close to a breakthrough regarding the suspect.

“I really wish you were able to talk right now Hermione. I could really use your brilliant brain right about now…” She’d been reading a passage about a type of skeletal type of Inuit spirit when Professor Prince came billowing into the wing, an old tome clutched in his right hand that he extended to her upon coming to stop by her side.

“A copy of the text Miss Granger made note of. It took longer than expected to procure it but our answers may be found here. Use it well Miss Black as I lack the time to search it’s pages myself.” 

“Thank you sir. It’ll have to wait until I come back from break, but with any luck we’ve just figured out the source of this thing.” He nodded at her mention of the holiday having to be behind them before further progress could be made.

“I believe you will be the one to figure out the great mystery plaguing our halls Harriet.” She was shocked at the use of her first name, the man deeming to never use it before now.

“Thank you, Professor. That means a lot to know you believe in me so highly. Make sure she’s safe when I’m gone? Promise me?” 

“I would willingly give my life for any student within these halls Miss Black. But I swear to you your friend’s safety will be my number one priority.” He was left shocked slightly when he felt her hug him at his promise.

“Thank you, it means a lot…” She grinned slightly at her next words. “Uncle Sev’.”

He pushed her away from him at that, a scowl on his face and an annoyed look in his eye that surely inspired Naga’s own version of the patented glare. “Brat.” She giggled at the word, a slight grin on the man’s face.

* * *

The break passed quickly once the day of her Charms mastery had been overcome. She’d been nervous the entire morning as Sirius guided her through the ministry and to the doorway leading to the hall where the exam was being held that day.

“ _Relax_ Pup. You’re going to show those old amateurs in there that you’ve got the skill to shame all of them. I believe in you. Remember that. Also Lucius bet me that you’d need until the summer to get your charms mastery, so prove him wrong, okay?” She laughed at her dad’s antics, knowing full well the man had almost certainly bet a large amount of actual money on her and and she was determined to help him win it back with interest.

Entering the hallway full of roughly a half dozen other, clearly older, wizards that no doubt were hoping to earn their own mastery, she was met by half a dozen belittling looks.

“Are you lost little girl? Where are you looking for-”

“Harriet Black!” A voice called out, drawing her attention towards the door at the other end of the hall where an older witch was standing wearing official looking robes. “We’re ready for you Miss Black.” she felt a smug grin pull at the corners of her mouth as she passed the judgmental older wizards and entered the room where she’d be quizzed on a set of 15 increasingly difficult questions regarding charms that she’d need to answer at least 14 correctly before she’d be allowed to demonstrate a never before implemented charm of her own design.

“Miss Black, you are too answer 14 of the 15 questions we will ask you tod-” The older wizard in front of her that was seated at the head of the panel of 14 other wizards and witches that would be judging her looked up from the piece of parchment in front of her for the first time, pausing as he took in her age for the first time.

“How old are you exactly dear?” The same witch that had called her in asked.

“12. And that counts as your first question by the way.” She felt slightly smug at the scowl on the older man’s face at that.

“What is the wand motion for the leg-locker curse?” She thought for a moment before recalling the passage she’d read in the 5th year dark charms textbook Severus had drilled into her head over the summer.

“A downward swipe followed by drawing the wand to the left and down again before a final right movement.”

“Correct.” The witch off to the far left end of the row of judges replied reluctantly looking slightly annoyed that she already knew the advanced charm

On the same process went, each answer getting more advanced in topic and harder to recall what she’d learned about it until she reached the final judge's question. The wizard sat forward for the first time before removing the hood of his robes that had been concealing his face, only to reveal the twinkling eyes of Nicholas Flamel.

“What is the only charm that can repel a Dementor attack?” At this she was relieved beyond measure for the brief lesson her professor had given her at the beginning of the term last year seeing as she hadn't gotten a chance to read up more on the spell yet.

“The Patronus Charm. The required happy memory that makes up the charm’s corporeal form driving back the creature’s presence, since it can’t feed on it.”

The immortal Sorcerer broke into a wide grin at her answer. “Correct Miss Black! The Patronus charm’s very nature repels the creature.”

‘ _That makes 15 correct. Eat it Draco! Hermione wins the bet!’_ She thought to herself at the fact that the blonde now owed their friend 10 galleons after he bet she’d miss at least one answer.

“You will now be allowed to demonstrate a charm that has never been used before. Is there anything you’ll need before casting it?” She nodded her head. 

“I’ll need a lump of pure silver, preferably a blank coin.” the piece of metal appearing on the table in front of her.

She pulled out her wand and started drawing the different symbols that formed the basis of the charm in the air over the piece of metal, inscribing the spell's effects into it as each one of the burning silver markings seemed to melt into the coin itself. 10 minutes past before she finally set her wand down on the table and looked back at the faces of the curious group of judges.

“What- what does it _do_?” the head of the panel asked, sounding almost in awe at the small coin that now practically hummed with her magic.

“I call it the lunar calmness charm. It alters the scent of whoever is wearing the charm’s talisman, in this case the coin, to mimic the scent of a wolf depending on the wearer’s age. In doing so it allows loved ones to safely remain by a werewolf’s side throughout their change during the full moon without risk of injury. I tested it with my godfather, Remus Lupin, towards the end of the summer. He was bitten and contracted lycanthropy as a child and has never been able to be around me because of his condition and the laws that prohibit his guardianship of me after my birth parents death’s and the incarceration of my other father Sirius Black. I was able to stay in the same room as him for the entire night of the full moon without a drop of wolfsbane potion in his system and without getting a single hair out of place because he didn't smell me as being any different from a wolf cub. At least that's what I was told by him the next morning as he recalled the experience.”

The judges all looked awed at the charms effects.

“Why, this could help so many people Miss Black! Countless people who have either been born with or contracted the disease could be allowed to raise families without risk to their loved ones." The Witch at the right end of the table spoke up. 

" Your charm will be tested extensively to ensure that its effects work as you claim and we will send word to the moment a decision is reached. Good day Miss Black.” The head of the group of wizards and witches stated. She excited the hall after that and returned alongside Sirius to Grimmauld place.

The rest of the holidays passed by in a reserved pace, neither of them really feeling the festive mood in wake of the attacks at Hogwarts.

* * *

It was the week after the student’s all returned from break that Harriet made the final breakthrough Hermione had been on the cusp of before she’d been attacked.

“...Red eyes and a slanted mouth regardless of the form it deems to take, An Ijiraq is a spirit capable of trapping others in a state between life and death with a single touch, and only appears where an exceptionally knowledgeable wizard has summoned and bound them to their service. They can only be slain however by a few methods known to wizarding-kind, the most well known example being alchemical fire of exceptional strength…” She had sprinted all the way from the hospital wing to the potions master’s office, slamming open the door. She took in the exhausted look on the man’s face but held up the book he’d given her.

“An Ijiraq! The spirit that’s attacking muggleborn’s is a bound Ijiraq! It fit’s all the clues we’ve found. An inuit is a spirit with red eyes and a slanted mouth whose touch leaves the victim in a state between life and death. Enchanted ice reveals their presence but Alchemical fire can kill them! They’re also known shapeshifters.” She gasped after the wave of information she’d pieced together, trying to catch her breath.

“You’re certain then? Which means we will need to find the area in the castle it was summoned. The ritual circle would have to be maintained in order to keep such a powerful and ancient spirit bound to it’s master’s will.”

“Hermione figured that out as well. Remember what she’d written under the word Shapeshifter? Three thick lines. She always circles something if she wants to bring attention to it. That’s what bugged me when I looked at it over the last week. It’s not her habit to do something like that without a reason.”

“The third floor corridor! Where that blasted hound was kept last year. It’s laid abandoned and sealed ever since.”

“What if someone unsealed it to turn into a ritual room.” It wasn’t a question and they both knew it.

“Follow me Miss Black. You’re more capable with conjuring alchemical fire than I am. I will attempt to draw the spirit out and keep it’s master from interfering while you take the chance to actually kill the thing. I doubt the one responsible will form the binding circle with anything capable of simply being broken.”

* * *

The two headed for the third floor corridor where Fluffy had been housed the year before. Unsealing the wards on the door and entering the room their attention was immediately drawn to the large runic circle carved into the ground as well as the hooded figure in front of them, Draco’s blonde hair visible as the person behind all they held their wand against his throat, the boy’s eyes were glazed over and unfocused.

‘ _He’s been imperiused!_ ’ Severus thought to himself, noting that the shorter man’s wand hand was missing a finger.

“So nice of you to join us, Severus! Our Lord will reward you for bringing the girl to him once he has been revived.” The man’s voice squeaked out.

‘ _So he is a servant of the Dark Lord, but not close enough or important enough to be made aware of his return already. Interesting._ ’ The potion’s master thought to himself.

“You used Draco to carve the summoning ring, didn’t you?! You needed a rune master in order to perform something so powerful despite Draco’s lack of formal training.” The man just chuckled at her observation.

“Bravo dear girl, bravo indeed! Such a clever little snake aren’t you? My lord chose well for his rival in you. So young, yet already a budding alchemist and newly branded Charms master. A shame that such a bright mind will have to end so young. But my Lord demands your death and I will be the one to deliver it!” 

The figure moved away from Draco then, pulling his hood down and revealing the face Severus had already suspected they would find.

“Peter Pettigrew. I should have realized you were in the castle the moment I first laid eyes on the blasted Weasley boy’s pet rat!” Severus growled out, but the man only chuckled at his anger, a clearly unhinged glint in his eyes.

“Wait, _Pettigrew_ …” She took a step forward, her wand raised as her arm shook with anger, her magic swirling tightly around her waiting to lash out at something, _anything_. “ **YOU**! You _betrayed_ them! Betrayed my family! Your own friends! And for **what**?! To save your own pathetic neck!” She hurled a wordless disarming spell only for the deranged death eater and traitor to deflect it with a simple shield.

“Such anger in you, little one. So full of rage you are, so filled with hate at little old me. No matter, my friend will prove an interesting plaything for you I’m sure.” 

The man switched to speaking in what Severus recognized from his study of the language as ancient Inuit.

“ **Come to me, ancient spirit of ice. Come to me and destroy the ones who would defy your master!** ”

The resulting sound would be one she would feel chill her bones for the rest of her days when she looked back on this day years from now. An unearthly screech that shook her to her very core and seemed to echo off the walls from all around them at once.

Then, the ritual circle began to glow. And the Ijiraq rose from the middle of the heavily rune inscribed circle, it’s blood red eyes burning into her own glowing green like the fires of hell itself, it’s razor sharp claws hanging at it’s sides.

Then a single spoken order from it’s master triggered what would be the most fear inducing 10 minutes of her life.

“ **Kill the girl!”**

It lunged at her as Pettigrew hurled the first of many curses towards the Potion’s master standing several feet to her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So who saw that coming with Peter's reveal? I tried changing it up from the usual 'Ginny being possessed in some way' bit that's always used when year two is brought in. Because I'm almost certain the actual spirit was a shock to everyone unless you've somehow read my mind prior to me posting this chapter lol. 
> 
> Next chapter has Harriet crossing spells against claws with an ancient spirit that predates the founders. Let's see what our little raven haired hellion has up her sleeve for dealing with something like this. I'm certain it will be an interesting battle filled with flashy lights and healthy doses of dramatic flair. It's Snape and Harriet after all lol. They're both too big of drama queens to not find a way to be dramatic even when fighting for their lives lol.


	5. Greek fire, Rat's captured, friend's reunited, and revelations made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title sums this one up pretty well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning for this chapter: Draco's point of view at the end get's into some pretty heavy topics for the first time in this series and they're going to be playing a pretty big role later on. Harriet is not someone who went through the Dursley's methods of raising a magical child and came out of it unaffected. She's got a lot of repressed traumas associated to how they treated her for years on end, and those traumas are going to slowly start being drawn out of the dark and at some point the girl's going to almost certainly need a mind healer to help her cope with the results of the Dursley's abuse. 
> 
> I don't want to shy away from any part of any of the charter's in this series, even if it's not always a positive part of them. People are hardly perfect in real life and the same thing goes for everyone in this series. I've taken a good bit of time trying to sort out different ways and changes that could be applied to each of them compared to canon without making it read like it's an entirely different fandom or something. 
> 
> Hopefully I do the matters justice in my portrayal of them through the different parts of this series. I'm not an expert on any of them by any means but I have seen how most of them can affect people's lives in different ways. If any of you feel I'm not necessarily portraying something the proper way you feel it would portrayed in that way, then please leave a comment explaining your reasoning! I will gladly change something to reflect in a better way if you give a convincing argument. I've always struggled a bit with nailing people's emotions in certain situations so I'd love hearing ways that I could improve on them in any way.

“ _Shit_!” She ducked out of the cramped ritual room and back into the abandoned hallway, just as the ancient Ijiraq had swiped it’s clawed hands in the space she’d been standing a moment ago.

She noticed her professor trading spells with the traitorous excuse of a wizard and took a sadistic glee in noticing the man was quickly overpowering the rat faced Death Eater.

“Dupulso!” a flash of light left her wand and struck the enraged demon, causing it to be forced back a good 20 feet from her.

 _‘Alchemical fire, what kind of spell can I actually cast that would even be strong enough to kill this thing!?’_ She thought to herself, panicked before throwing up a modified shield spell that Professor Prince had taught her that would actually stop a spirit’s attacks from landing.

“Ignis maxima!” a jet of deep blue fire shot out the tip of her wand, hitting the irate entity in the face causing it to screech in pain and drift back away from her for a brief time. 

‘ _Wait, intent and understanding form the basis of any spell, even alchemy. **That’ll** work!’ _

She placed the palm of her right hand face up in the air in front of her and thought of her intent, poured her magic into her palm and willed it to _burn, burn until it left nothing but ash._ The result was a deep green flame burning in the palm of her hand that reminded her distantly of the souls of the damned burning back into her when she looked at it closer.

‘ _Greek fire. An alchemical creation by muggles and repurposed by wizards 2000 years ago but alchemical at it’s base nonetheless..’_ She lobbed the ball of eternally burning fire at the currently charging Ijiraq and watched as it made contact, center of it’s chest.

“Burn you undead son of a bitch!” She shouted at the ancient being as the fire started to consume it greedily, eager to burn away the fresh source it had been given to devour.

' _The only useful thing I ever got from the Dursley's were their sense of curse words..._ ' 

The creature **_screeched_ ** in agony as the undying emerald fire spread like dozens of angry green snakes across it’s form, consuming and devouring it’s very being, until it flickered out of existence entirely with a loud ‘snap’.

After making certain the thing was going to **_stay_ ** dead, she turned her attention back to the two wizards dueling.

Pettigrew had a growing look of fear in his eyes as he was left bleeding from several lacerations across his body while slumped against the nearest wall. She recognized the cutting curse that was her mentor’s favored personal invention and felt the sense of sadistic glee at the idea of the man’s suffering was justified after everything he’d caused. 

The potion’s master was clearly in his element and the far superior duelist of the two seeing as he’d barely looked winded by the effort it took to secure the upper hand against the maniac.

“Petrificus totalus tria.” The man spoke, pointing his wand at the coward as his arms snapped straight at his sides and he fell over, immobilized. “That will hold him for a few hours at least, much more effective than the basic full body bind spell I assure you. Let us head back to my office and I will call for the aurors to collect the man. I do not trust Dumbledore to treat his capture with the level of severity it requires in such a situation.” She nodded her head in agreement and turned back to the man who was the reason her birth parents were dead.

“Tough luck Peter, have fun with the Dementors in Azkaban.” They collected Draco who had collapsed unconscious the moment the curse was lifted from him and she cast a levitation charm on him to follow beside them as Snape did the same to Pettigrew once he cast a disillusionment on the man.

* * *

It was later in the day, after the aurors had arrived through Severus’ floo and taken the rat bastard with them without alerting the headmaster to his presence even being within the castle. She was sitting beside Draco’s bed once he’d been admitted to the hospital wing for the next night as she explained what all had happened.

“Why do I always miss the action! It’s not fair!” The blonde boy crossed his arms and pouted at the idea of missing all the excitement as Naga curled tighter around her legs, his head resting on her lap again.

“I just hope Professor Prince can finish the revival potion soon.” She looked over at the frizzy haired girl that was still surrounded in a layer of blue ice. “It’s not right that she’s so quiet right now, I’m half expecting her to sit up in that bed and start rambling about transfiguration or something like always. It feels wrong, seeing her like this.”

“I know what you mean Harriet. I’m so used to her rambling over the last year that it doesn’t feel like it’s actually real life right now. Like some twisted dream almost.” She nodded at her friend’s words feeling her eyes slightly burning at the idea of their friend being frozen in such a way.

“Draco, I saw that thing up close. It could have torn either of them apart like paper with those claws. If Pettigrew hadn’t seemed to want me dead first before fully purging the school like he wrote he was trying to do, Hermione could have…” The boy just reached over and pulled her into a hug before she could continue, feeling the tears she’d started to shed as they soaked into his shirt.

“It’s okay...she’s still alive, she’s going to be perfectly fine within another week or two once Uncle Sev finishes brewing the potion. Then she’ll be back to blabbing both our ears off and we’ll be wishing she was mute again.” She choked out a small laugh at his words before pulling her head away and whipping the last of her tears away.

“No. If I never see her stop talking for more than an hour ever again I’ll die a happy person I think.” 

“True.”

“Oh! And by the way, you owe her 10 galleons for that dumb bet you made. I completely forgot to tell you that I got a perfect score on my Charms exam. So you lost.” The boy groaned at the idea of the smug look the bookworm of a girl was going to have the moment she found out she was right in her confidence of her best friend’s skill in the subject.

“Wait...does that mean?!”

“Yep. You are looking at the youngest Charms master in the history of the British Isles.” She giggled at the look of shock on the boy’s face.

“So they approved your lunar calmness charm? It’s official then?!” She nodded her head.

“Yep. Come this summer Remus will be legally allowed to stay with me and Sirius at Grimmauld Place. He’s been given visiting rights thanks to the charm’s effect and the Ministry personally verified his request once they caught wind of it. I imagine other werewolves will soon follow the same process.”

“So your family just grew by one more. You must be pretty happy about that.” 

“Absolutely! I’ve been wanting to talk with him so much the last year and a half. Now we’ll have all the time in the world to catch up and get to know each other for once. He’s just eager to meet his goddaughter I imagine. Sirius talked about how much they’d both cared for me when I was a baby.” They talked until late in the night about their ragtag family growing by one. She’d drifted off in her chair around midnight.

* * *

Another week of classes passed now that the threat of the spirit was officially announced as being removed. She and Draco were talking about the upcoming Quidditch match Draco would be playing in against Gryffindor as Slytherins’ seeker when they both noticed the head of frizzy hair at the entrance to the common room. They both took off in a sprint from their chairs and barreled into Hermione in a big group hug.

“You're cured! You’re okay.” She mumbled quietly from her spot with her face buried in her friend’s shoulder, Draco not doing much better at keeping his relieved tears at bay from his spot against the girl's other shoulder as she was.

“It’s so good to see you both. It was horrible! I felt like I was drifting through a vast empty void, not able to move or even think clearly.”

“Well it’s done. The Ijiraq is dead, I made sure of it personally.” The relieved look on her friend’s face spoke volumes.

“Good…”

“Oh, and I believe Draco here owes you ten galleons for winning your little bet.” She found herself being tackled into another hug by her best friend.

“You did it then! You earned your Mastery?! Oh I’m so happy for you Harriet. You worked hard enough on it for the last year, if anyone deserves the title of youngest Charms master it’s you.” She thanked her friend, not quite able to fight the slight blush at her words.

She elbowed Draco in the ribs as she noticed his amused grin at her blushing.

‘ _Smug git. Always making jokes on other’s expense.’_ She thought to herself, completing missing the reason for the boy’s reaction.

* * *

**Draco’s P.O.V.:**

Draco considered himself a relatively self aware person. He'd been raised to be able to pick up small details in people he was close to that they often missed themselves. His mother in particular went to great lengths to ensure he was more mature for his age and had a greater understanding about certain things.

It’s how he noticed the subtle clues surrounding his best friend.

He noticed how she seemed to brighten slightly starting halfway through first year whenever their bookish friend showed up. He just put it down to the raven haired girl not having any real friends growing up and being happy to finally have some even if she didn’t have many yet.

He saw how she seemed to calm faster during exam study sessions whenever Hermione offered to help her go over a specific part of their notes and it helped soothe her test anxiety. Again, he chalked it up as her being relieved for her friend’s help during such stressful times.

He was a bit surprised at the intensity she displayed her worry when their friend had been left floating in a state between life and death, but he couldn’t exactly fault her feeling that way when he himself was a nervous wreck at the time along with her.

It was when he noticed her blushing from her best friend's praise over her accomplishments that he connected the dots finally and realized that his best friend was almost certainly sporting a budding crush on her best friend.

_‘And she doesn’t even realize she is! The girl’s the brightest Alchemical genius and Charms expert he’d ever seen and has already created two extremely complex spells before the age of 13 but she’s as painfully oblivious about her own feelings for the other girl as she can be!’_

He realized then, with a sense of growing horror and hate for her muggle relatives, that the girl probably didn’t even realize she was possibly even attracted to other girls. He’d remembered her passing comment about boys being an 'irritating waste of time' when he’d asked her about why she didn’t seem to share the rest of the school’s female population’s fixation on Lockheart. 

That her magic hating, normal craving muggle relatives probably had spent years verbally abusing his best friend over the slightest sign of anything they saw as being even a bit odd, the slightest bit ‘freakish’ had him feeling sick to his stomach over the possible parts of herself she’d been forced to bury over the years. 

‘ _She’s probably terrified of even the idea of being seen as different in the slightest way. No wonder she gets so nervous whenever any attention is thrown on her. She looked like she was expecting the rest of the school to burn her alive or something when they found out she could talk to snakes. The girl's a genius as much as Hermione is yet has the worst test anxiety of anyone her age I've ever seen, like she's afraid of being seen as inferior to others just because she didn't grow up learning about the same subjects most other student's did. Hell her nerves get so bad at times she can barely even function in front other's outside of the common room._ ’

He then thought about his father talking to him before the beginning of the start of term for their second year about their society's views on certain things. About how a witch was still often expected to uphold the outdated idea of existing only for raising a family with their husband’s managing the non-household matters of day to day life by some circles of society.

‘ _Our government really **is** screwed up if it expects such things of it’s people, if wizards and witches were treated negatively and scorned by everyday people over things as uncontrollable as who they fall in love with or the gender of the person that draws their attention more than the other _.’ 

His father had confided in him about the Dark Lord’s return, about his plans to overthrow the current government’s ways of doing things. About his plans to actually improve upon the way things were done and the way people were treated throughout their society. Draco found that he couldn’t help thinking that if it meant his friend wouldn’t be treated poorly over who she cared for he’d gladly support the man who seemed to be trying to push for these changes.

 _‘If it means she doesn’t have to be afraid anymore about the idea of being who she really is, then I’d see the entire world down for the chance to rebuild it myself in a way that would allow her to._ ’

He wouldn’t confront the girl about her possible budding feelings. Not when he knew how badly some people grew up being told such feelings were wrong like his friend almost certainly had thanks to her vile relatives. He wasn’t a hypocrite to even think of outing her to herself. He wouldn't be like those damn muggles. He'll leave the possible choice for her to make if it ever comes down to it.

But he did promise himself that day that he would keep an eye on his friend, to be sure of his hunch about her before he even thought about how he could start helping her in some way if that hunch turned out to be right. And he would help her in any way she may need it in the future. Because she _**was**_ his best friend.

‘ _One step at a time. Maybe the Dark Lord can burn her muggle relatives alive or something.’_

His father mentioned the Dark Lord’s seeming fondness of the girl in light on certain details he wasn’t made aware of yet. About how the dangerous wizard had no intention of harming his friend any longer. He hoped that the Dark Lord would prove his father’s loyalty hadn't been misplaced. He hoped the man would go on to keep his word about bringing about changes that were desperately needed now more than ever.


	6. Valentines, surprising truths, internal panics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco really doesn't deserve the possible threats to his safety brought up in this chapter lol.

That morning, Harriet hadn’t even realized what day it even was between all the panic from the attacks and everything finally getting put right. So the sight of the great hall covered in heart decorations and pink streamers while Lockhart stood at the staff table looking proud in his hideously sickening pink robes had her wanting to reach for her want and cast her nasty little charm on the blonde idiot.

Luckily, though she’ll deny it till her last breath, Draco and Hermione choose that moment from behind her to grab both of her arms and haul her over to the Slytherin table while she was growling while looking murderous.

“Sit. You’re not hexing anyone today just because it’s a stupid muggle holiday.” She just scowled and crossed her arms over her chest at her bossy friend who’s attention hadn’t even left the assortment of food he was piling onto his plate.

“We’ll see. Urg!” She groaned the second she noticed the little dwarves going around dress as cupids and looking nearly as murderous about the whole situation as she felt right about now. 

“Awwww! Does our little Raven-”

“Not want to get an embarrassing-”

“Valentine’s from some boy?”

The voices of Fred and George spoke up from behind her as she whirled around in her seat in shock that they managed to sneak past her normally attentive watch snake, only to glare at the sight of him trying to steal a piece of sausage off of Draco’s plate.

‘ _Traitor_!’

The two Gryffindors that were the only lions currently actually allowed to sit at their table by the rest of the snakes, took the two seats across from her both sharing an identical shit-eating grin on their faces.

“If some boy sends me one of those stupid things I will set the dwarf in question on fire!” She snarled out between her grit teeth, looking for all intents like she would murder someone if they even thought about it. Her four friends just broke down into laughter at her face.

“She’s like a little kitten George.”

“Quite right Fred, adorable really.”

“Not threatening at all actually”

She just pointed her wand at the two chuckling redhead’s and traced it in a small triangle while her right brow ticked up. The two immediately dropped the smug smiles for identical looks of slight fear at the warning of use of her Black madness charm. They knew all too well how that thing worked.

“You were saying?” She tilted her head slightly to the side.

“Terrifying indeed little Raven-”

“Not adorable at all we see-”

“We humbly beg for your forgiveness.”

“It won’t happen again.”

She laughed at the two prankester’s begging and put her wand away back in it’s holster on her arm.

“Better.”

* * *

Unfortunately her mild amusement was cut short a few minutes later when in potion’s class a dwarf did indeed come barreling into the classroom and presented in a very dramatic fashion a small dark green colored valentine that was directed to her. 

She took the damn thing if only so the blasted dwarf would leave, but when it didn’t appear to be inclined to until she read it she promptly flicked a severely overpowered knockback jinx at the tiny man-child thing and caused it to go soaring out the open door leading to the hallway where a resounding thump met their ears.

Even Professor Prince looked amused at her actions when he awarded her 5 points for regaining order to class. She went back to focusing on her Wiggenweld potion after tucking the unopened piece of paper into her bag, but not before Draco managed to get a decent look at the thing.

* * *

**Draco’s P.O.V.:**

He couldn’t help but notice two very big details about the piece of paper his best friend had been given today in class.

The fact it was on paper the same shade of green as their house.

‘ _So it’s almost certainly a Slytherin who sent it in the first place..’_

The decidedly more important factor was that the handwriting on the front where her name had been written in silver ink was almost certainly a girl’s handwriting.

‘ _If I’m right about my hunch, she’s almost certainly going to panic when she realizes just who would have sent her a valentine. Maybe I can play damage control a bit, get her to open it somewhere she won’t draw unwanted attention from half the student population.._ ’

Thus him dragging her along out to the Quidditch pitch in the middle of February in the middle of the afternoon after Hermione mentioned wanting to talk to Professor McGonagall about something.

“And do you want to explain why we’re out here in the middle of the day?”

“Read it.” He rolled his eyes at the confused look on her face. “The valentine from class, read it. I want to test a suspicion I have about who sent it to you in the first place.”

“What does it matter anyway, Draco? It’s probably from some dumb boy in Gryffindor who sent it as a prank.” But she pulled the small piece of paper from her bag nonetheless looking slightly annoyed.

A minute later and the resulting red that had spread across his friend’s face told him that his theory about the note’s source was correct. And his friend knew it.

“B-but-”

“I take it my theory was accurate then if your face is anything to go by? Does it say who sent it?” She handed it to him to read while she stood there in slight shock looking as though her brain was still rebooting.

“Oh Merlin’s beard she wrote a _love poem_?! ‘ _Your eyes like Greek fire_..’.” He couldn’t help it and broke down in laughter at the cheesy poem.

“Wait?! How can you be sure it’s a 'she'? Anyone could have written something this cheesy?” He just looked at her like she was being idiotic, which he admits she was a bit when it comes to this stuff.

“Seriously Black? The handwriting is too flowery, the i’s are dotted with little silver heart’s, gross by the way, you girl's are way to obsessed with doing that for whatever reason, and it’s a love poem! No guy I’ve ever met or seen in my life would willingly send something like that to their schoolyard crush. At least not without asking another girl’s advice first.” She just narrowed her eyes at him.

“Well excuse me for having the emotional range of a thimble when it comes to this stuff. I don’t exactly have a line of suitor’s throwing themselves at my feet everyday.” He started laughing at her again only to get a punch to the shoulder for his actions.

“ **Ow**! Why do you always go for the right one? It’s bruising at this rate! Anyways, what about the other bit? You know, the decidedly female one?” And the blush was back.

“W-well, um. I haven't’ exactly thought about something like _that_ before, you know. I just kinda assumed that wizarding society was like muggle’s in that regard. Neither seem very open to the idea of something like _that_.” He nodded his head at that.

“Well, some wizard’s might not be as accepting about that kind of thing, but there’s still plenty of wizards and witches out there that ignore what the ministry tries to cram down their throats about ‘the proper way’ people are supposed to love each other. They realize that it’s all crap and make a point of not batting an eye over this kind of stuff in society anymore.”

“Wait, _seriously_? I thought everyone just hated anything ‘freakish’, even by wizard standards.” Salazar's basilisk he really hated her aunt and uncle for making her think like that..

“Nope. A lot of people actually see how messed up the way things are run right now by the current administration. And they all want things to change so people don’t have to be afraid as much about who they care about. Ironically that was one of the things the Dark Lord was trying to overturn in the last war, before Dumbledore drove him to desperate acts and to the point of madness.” She looked surprised at that.

“He did? I hadn’t heard he’d been trying to do some good things at all. You only ever hear what Dumbledore wants to be heard I guess.”

“History is told only by the victors. But there was a lot of good the Dark Lord was trying to do in the end. He knew how flawed the government was and was trying to overthrow it in order to pave the way for a new administration to start changing how our society works. Better education standards enforced, less cruel laws about werewolves and more on ways to actually keep them safe as well as others. And especially not letting people be treated like animals over something as unchangeable as who they happen to love.”

“I see…”

“I just...wanted you to know that not everything you’ve heard or seen in the world is how everyone else acts or feels. And that, if you come to the conclusion that how you feel yourself is different from how, say, Pansy feels or whatever, you’re not going to deal with those feelings alone. Hermione, Neville, and me. We’re your friends Harriet. We aren’t going to ditch you over something that you can’t actually change about yourself.”

‘ _There. Plant the idea that feelings aren’t some evil thing to be afraid of. What she does with it is up to her now.’_

“Thanks Draco. I think...I have a lot to think about now. Stuff I haven’t really thought about in years.” He nodded in agreement, glad she was taking it seriously and not panicking over the idea like he thought she might.

“Well, when you get done thinking about stuff, we’re still gonna be there for you. With wands at the ready to hex anyone who doesn’t like what you decide.” She barked out a laugh at that and he was glad to hear it.

“So do you actually know who wrote this thing?” He did, but he sure as hell wasn’t telling her that she was being crushed on by Daphne Greengrass of all people. The raven haired girl would probably spontaneously combust on the spot if he did.

‘ _Not that I blame her. I’m pretty sure Daphne has to have some bit of veela in her to have so many other students in our year so distracted all the time. If Black figured out that she wrote the note she may just panic again.._ ’

“Nope. No idea. Sorry, I don’t really recognize the handwriting that well honestly. Though it’s almost certainly someone in our year.” She looked at him confused.

“How can you tell?”

 _‘Shit_!’

“Well it’s just, it looks a bit familiar is all. So it’s probably someone we share classes with and is in Slytherin.”

 _‘Please buy it, please buy it, please buy it!_ ’ He was mentally begging the girl in front of him to buy the excuse. He nearly gasped out in relief when she nodded her head at his excuse.

‘ _She bought it! Too fucking close Draco!_ ’

“I’ll guess I’ll just have to see if they send any more notes then. Maybe I’ll figure it out eventually.”

‘ _DAMMIT BLACK! She’s gonna kill me if she finds out who sent that note because there’s no way in hell she’ll believe I didn’t recognize the handwriting of a girl I grew up friends with since we were both in the crib! Daphne for the love of Salazar don’t send any more notes! You’re going to get me killed eventually if you do!_ ’

He was deeply regretting being friends with someone as stubborn as Harriet Black right about now..


	7. Truth's uncovered

**Draco's P.O.V.:**

He was seriously wondering when exactly his previous title of Best friend and resident rune expert changed to include the new status of Slytherin’s 2nd year matchmaker.

‘ _ I don’t deserve having to do this kind of stuff. I’m a good person, Merlin! At least most of the time.. _ ’

This was his thoughts as he walked up to his childhood friend and Slytherins resident fashion expert Daphne Greengrass at the back of the library table she was currently studying alone at, to discuss the topic of a certain alchemy nutcase.

Taking the seat across from her after casting a silencing charm around them to avoid nosy lions, he took note of her raised brow at his actions.

“You and I have a certain raven to discuss, Daph.” He saw her eyes widen slightly at his words before her expression smoothed itself behind her blank mask.

“What about Harriet? Oh Salazar, did she hex Lockhart again? That girl is going to get detention yet if she keeps attacking people that annoy her every 5 minutes.” He smirked at the obvious innocent act.

“I’m talking about the little note you sent her last week. The one with the love poem?”

She panicked for a split second before looking around subtly to make sure they were actually alone.

“Shut up!” She hissed at him. “I mean. I don’t know what you’re talking about Draco. I haven’t the slightest idea who gave Black that green note.”

“Then how would you know the note she got in Potion’s while you were at the back of the room at the time and unable to see what color it was is green?”

“Dammit Malfoy! Fine, I sent the damn thing. Happy?”

“Quite, actually.” He could tell his smug grin was only irritating her but couldn’t bring himself to care.

“It’s just my luck isn’t it? The only girl I’ve ever had a real crush on and she’s probably not even into girl’s.”

“I wouldn’t say that exactly. The way she was blushing more than I’ve ever known her to in the year and a half I’ve known her while reading your poem seemed kinda telling.”

“ _ **WHAT**_?! Salazar help me Malfoy if you’re full of crap I will break you!” She threatened, looking at him accusingly with a mix of distrust with the slightest hint of...hope?

“I don’t lie when it comes to my friends, you know this Daph. And if you were anyone else in the world I wouldn’t be telling you this in the first place. But seeing as you know firsthand what it’s like to have feelings that can confuse and frighten you, I figure you’re about the one person in this school who would really understand when I tell you she has a lot of baggage when it comes to stuff like feelings.” 

“You’re talking about the muggles right? The ones who raised her and hated magic?” He nodded his head seriously.

“I want to make this _very_ clear Daph. I’m placing a lot of trust in you right now with what I need to explain to you about Harriet. If I thought for even the slightest second that you would even think about spilling someone’s secrets to anyone, I wouldn’t even bother. But I know how much you value your privacy enough to know that anything someone tells you, you hold in the absolute highest place of trust.” She nodded looking as serious as he imagined he sounded.

“I may be a slytherin and love gossip but I’m not a snitch. I swear on my magic that anything you tell me will not leave this table.” She held her wand in the air at the words where it lit briefly, signifying the promise being sealed with her magic.

“Good. Then the first thing you should know is that Harriet wasn’t just treated badly over her magic by her relatives. She was verbally treated like garbage for years over the slightest odd thing that happened around her by them. The slightest accidental magic, the smallest accident that occurred when nothing was around to cause it. I’ll assume that they also spent years spewing out heteronormatic bullshit at her making her think anything other then it wasn’t normal like the ‘freakish’ things that they verbally and physically beat her over. They don't exactly strike me as accepting people.” The blonde girl in front of him looked horrified at what he was saying.

“She spent years repressing anything about herself that she was treated like a freak over.” It wasn’t a question.

“That’s what I’ve been able to piece together, yeah. That’s why I’m telling you this now in light of your recently developed crush on her. I’ve planted the idea in her head already that what she grew up ignoring about herself and the associated feelings weren’t something she had to be afraid of. That even if some people in either society will treat her badly over it, there are plenty more people who won’t treat her any different than now over it. I get the feeling she’s on her way now to figuring out a few rather tough truths about herself that she buried over the years.”

“She’s lucky to have friends like you then Draco. Ones that are so willing to accept her for herself. Not everyone in her shoes has that support.” 

“She could use another you know? Someone who understands personally what she’s almost certainly going through even as we speak. I try to help how I can but let’s be honest, I don’t have a clue how it actually feels to be in her place right now. Neither does Hermione even if she’s not aware of her friend’s current turmoil at the moment. If you’re willing to be her friend as well, I think she'd appreciate knowing that there's someone she could talk to about this stuff that she may not want to talk to with us. She doesn’t exactly have a lot of those right now and she’d certainly appreciate the offer if you extended it.”

“And my crush? I don’t want her to feel like I’m  _ only _ being her friend to get her to date me or anything.” He smiled at his friend’s concern.

“Start with being her friend first Daph. Maybe a year or two from now your feelings will end up changing, maybe they won’t, who knows? If they don’t by the beginning of 4th year, then they’re probably not going to anytime soon and you can reevaluate things then. Heck, she’s got a baby crush on our resident bookworm that she doesn’t even realize exists. But chances are fairly high that those feelings could end up settling into friendship in a few months. First crushes rarely are more than that right?” She nodded her head at his advice.

“You make a fair point. I still remember when I thought our friendship was the beginnings of a crush until school started. Thank Merlin I realized it wasn’t that. I’ll talk to her about striking up a friendship. She does look like someone who could use a couple of more good friends after all.”

“She does. Just, don’t be surprised if she’s confused about the offer of friendship. She doesn’t have much experience with friends yet. Heck it took Hermione half of first year to stop getting looks of confusion from her at the fact she actually wanted to be friends in the first place.”

“Wow. And those two are the best of friends now. It’s weird trying to put the image to the words when I’ve seen how close they are now. And yeah, I can’t believe I didn’t notice the slight crush Harriet’s got on the bookworm. Wait, Naga’s not gonna try and kill me is he? I’ve never seen a snake so protective of one person as he is for her.” He laughed at the slight worry in his friend’s eye.

“Nah. From her translations he’s just really protective of her and doesn’t trust most people outside of the rest of the house. You’ve actually got bonus points from him already for how the rest of the house was so protective of her last year. He can tell if someone is trustworthy by how they act and he’s actually mentioned apparently about how he likes you Blaise and Theo. I swear that snake is a seer somehow with his sense of people.”

“So we’ve already passed her guard dog’s test of loyalty haha. Good to know then. Maybe I’ll talk to Theo at some point, get him to try befriending her too. Merlin knows those two would spend hours along with Blaise and Hermione talking about magical theory.”

“You do that. I can imagine the stuff those 4 would get into if given the chance. Actually maybe we should be concerned about that instead…” They both broke out laughing at that.

“And Draco? Thanks. For talking to me about all this stuff. I probably would have messed up in some way with trying to shove my feelings at her so soon. With everything you’ve told me today, I’m honestly just surprised that she even is able to properly function at all. To grow up with that much of herself suppressed over the years, it’s horrible what her relatives did to her. How they treated her so badly.”

“She may not be like everyone else after all that happened. But I couldn’t even picture wanting her to any different then who she grew up to be, minus the emotional repression I mean. She’s going to pull off big things in the world, I can tell.”

“Yeah. She’s one ambitious snake that’s for sure.” They both laughed at that.

* * *

**Harriet’s P.O.V.:**

The week that passed since her talk with Draco was one that saw her stuck in her head more often than not when she wasn’t in class. She spent nearly every free second she had that week going over stuff she’d thought she’d forgotten or buried over the years. And slowly, the pieces started to click back into place.

From her annoyance with most boys that weren’t her friends, to the way she’d felt ashamed of something she’d never been able to place in her mind whenever she looked in the mirror, like some part of her just out of reach was making her feel that way.

“Wow. I really am fucking oblivious sometimes.” She muttered to herself from her bed in her dorm room, Naga curled up beside her as she was thinking through different things.

~ **_Only with feelingss little Sspeaker…you humanss place to much worry on such thingss._ ** ~

**_~Since when are you so wise hmm? And we humans can’t just get by like snakes can without worrying about feelings. We’re social creatures capable of worry. Of course we’re going to have several emotional crisis throughout our lives.~_ **

**_~Now who is the wisse one Little Sspeaker?~_ ** She laughed at her words being used against her by her own snake.

“Thinking back on things, I can see why Draco seems to hate the slightest mention of the Dursley’s. They really did do a number on my way of thinking didn’t they?” She mused aloud to herself before her eyes widened at the cause of her inner mind sorting. 

“Holy crap! I have a girl writing love poems to me about my eyes! What the hell am I supposed to do with that?! What do I even  _ want _ to do with that?” Judging from the way she could feel her face heating up when she tried putting the thought to a mental picture she figured she already had her answer to that. 

“Okay, so the fact I’m not against the idea aside, I guess I now have to figure out who the heck is behind the note. Which I can’t do with only one sample to base it on. Shit. I guess only time will tell if they send any more. How is this even my life now? One minute I’m trying to sort out an identity crisis that was courtesy of my asshole relatives' methods of raising me, and now I’m contemplating how to track down my secret admirer who happens to also be a girl. Sirius lied, the barmy old dog. Being 12 is not in any way easier than being 11 was. Trolls and broken legs I could handle, those are easy. Ancient ghosts, murderous traitors and feelings are way more complicated. I’m so asking Kreacher to poison his tea with a voice changing potion over the summer. See how he likes having Dumbledore’s voice. Actually no, I’d probably end up accidentally hexing him the moment I heard him say something...”

* * *

While she was contemplating ways to prank and/or possibly torture her father, the man in question was sitting in his favorite chair in Grimmauld Place while sipping a cup of tea as he felt a cold feeling of dread fill his stomach.

“Harriet’s plotting something. And I’m the target, I can just tell. My marauder’s sense is _never_ wrong…”

* * *

The next day at breakfast saw the first sign that things were changing for the unknown. 

Staring at the copy of the Daily Prophet in front of her, she was left slightly shocked at the picture of the man she could  **_tell_ ** was the returned Dark Lord. 

_ ‘No one else would have those eyes. Like fire..’ _

The caption in front of her left her unsure for the first time of many to come.

**_“Lord Slytherin Takes Wizengamot Seat at Last! Declares intent to improve matters in the government.”_ **

_ ‘Well then. Things really are about to get interesting I can tell… _ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So who's wondering what Harriet's going to do regarding Sirius? Because I'm fairly certain the man needs to start running before his daughter tracks him down for lying about the complexity that is feelings lol.
> 
> Hopefully I did right by Draco and Daphne in this chapter. I wanted to kinda show the lengths he'd go to for his friends that matter to him in the word. Even if that involves possibly having to play matchmaker in the future lol. Draco's gonna end up growing up to being an alcoholic on Snape's level lol. both don't deserve the stress involved with dealing with one Harriet Black lol. Will I continue to make them suffer for it though? Hell yes, it's just too much fun not to lol. plus drama equals life in my mind lol.


	8. Oblivious Dorks and exasperated dragons

It was a bit odd really, thinking about how well Daphne Greengrass seemed to fit into their group of friends so quickly, she thought to herself a week before exams started for the end of the year in May, everyone in the school in a rush to cram more studying in.

The blonde fashion expert had integrated flawlessly into their group 2 months ago and seemed to get along with Hermione and Draco equally well, which honestly surprised Harriet when she saw it herself. She knew the girl was friends with Draco since they were babies, having grown up alongside each other for years now with their parents’ all being close friends.

The part that shocked her really was how well Hermione seemed to get along with the Pureblood girl. They were often seen talking about their mutual dislike of Lockhart and their interest in Transfiguration. Daphne was floored when she realized Hermione had successfully been able to pull off the animagus transformation process at her age and the two spent hours talking about advanced transfiguration proofs that made her head spin. 

Harriet herself nearly swallowed her tongue when Daphne casually followed along with a conversation she’d been having with Blaise about advanced Alchemy and even added her own opinions on the subject from time to time.

‘ _ She’s nice, pretty and smart. If I didn’t already piece together that I’m pretty sure I’m gay, I’m pretty sure it would have hit me like a bombarda once I’d gotten to know her. That girl could probably cause anyone to go charging at the closet door with an ax. _ ’ She thought to herself, consciously making note of the fact she  _ was _ fairly sure she liked girl’s more than boys. 

It was a surprisingly freeing thought really, to know why she never really seemed to have the same gaga factor other girls had throughout the school when thinking about their own crushes. 

Snapping out of her thoughts, she turned back to her Potion’s notes and got back to studying.

* * *

**Draco’s P.O.V.:**

He was sitting there, staring at his best friend in the entire world as she sat there studying potions notes he knew they both knew by heart already, and couldn’t help but wonder why life seemed to enjoy kicking him so much.

‘ _ She’s truly hopeless! Daphne is the worst, most obvious flirt in the world, and Harriet hasn’t even noticed! How? How can the same girl who is planning to test her way into becoming the youngest witch in history to earn double masteries in two extremely advanced branches of magic possibly be the same girl who’s too thick to notice the pretty blonde next to her sending her heart eyes less than a foot away for the last month?!’ _

Oh he knew Daphne didn’t do it intentionally. He knew his childhood friend was just like that regardless. That she had trouble turning off her feelings for the few people she actually likes when she’s trying to just stick to being a friend that they need. But he also knew the raven-haired girl was completely oblivious to anything even remotely having to do with flirting or feelings besides anger and violence going on around her.

‘ _ Fred and George are going to need to make me a pin that says ‘resident matchmaker for hopeless gays.' Because that’s what these two are.’  _ He mused to himself wondering when his life had come to this before remembering that it was his own idiotic sense of wanting to do anything to help his friends. ‘ _ Might need to fix that pesky trait a little.’ _

‘ _ They’re already on their way to being best friends at least so there’s that goal reached already. Now I just have to sort out how to beat the necessary emotional comprehension to recognize romantic feelings around her into the thick skull of a girl with the emotional self awareness of wombat.’  _ He was grateful that all of his friends seemed to get along so easily at least, even if one of them was a hopeless idiot at times.

He also knew Daphne wanted to see the girl’s reaction herself to one of her notes even if said girl wouldn’t know quite yet that it was from the blonde.

Hence Tracey Davis walking up to the group and tapping Harriet’s shoulder to get her attention before passing her a similar looking green piece of parchment with a comment about being asked anonymously to give it to her before walking away once she’d taken the note.

“Oooo. Is that from your mystery admirer Black?” Blasie whistled from down the table they were all studying at. He didn’t know who the person was of course, but remembered the original note’s appearance well and had taken to teasing their friend over it.

He saw her blush slightly at the teasing before sending a stinging jinx at the boy with a flick of her wand before turning back to the note and reading it.

Judging from the somehow even  _ deeper _ blush she now sported, he figured Daphne had upped the mantle a bit from last time.

‘ _ I don’t even want to know what is written in that damn thing! Probably some kind of weird alchemy based flirting or something. _ ’ He groaned mentally to himself at whatever was possibly written to get that kind of reaction from his short friend. 

_ ’And Daphne’s smirking like the cat who caught the canary. And no one even notices! I’m surrounded by a group of idiots! Oh She’s going to take a sadistic sort of glee in writing these things from now on. Now that she’s witnessed the response they get she’s going to be insufferable, I can tell! I feel bad for Harriet now that I think about it. I wonder if there’s a chance of someone blushing to death? Because she looks like she’s trying her damnedest to pull it off.’  _

He was truly starting to question how far this little game would go on involving the notes and just how oblivious Harriet would prove to be in the end.

* * *

When they split up after deciding they’d all studied enough for the day after the 4 hour session, he was about to head off towards the common room when he’d felt someone grab his arm and drag him into a room he knew was an abandoned classroom. Turning around to face the hysterical looking Black heiress he raised an eyebrow at what had triggered her current response of kidnapping him.

“I know who sent them!” ‘ _ Shit! Daphne what did you **write**?!’  _ “It was Pansy! See, look! Whoever signed this one signed their first initial.” She held up the letter to his face before he took it from her fingers and held it far enough away to actually read the damn thing.

What he saw at the bottom made him question just how intelligent the girl in front of him could possibly be. 

“It’s a P! The only girl in our year who’s in Slytherin who’s name starts with P is Pansy! But she hates me I thought?! She ignores I exist since the day we met.” The ’P’ in question was a slightly smudged uppercase ‘D’ that the bottom of had smeared just enough to look closer to the former rather than the later if you didn’t recognize Daphne’s handwriting like the girl in front of him hadn’t had the chance to do yet.

_ ‘She’s hopeless. Utterly hopeless! And Daphnee need’s to learn not to touch her papers and notes before they’re dried dammit!’  _ He thought to himself, annoyed at the fact that the possible window he could have had to get the two together ahead of what he’d estimated it would take had closed because his friends were both useless at romance!

‘ _ They’re gonna end up killing me yet. They’re both gonna drive me into an early grave. That or driving me into locking them in a room together after dousing them both with Veritaserum and casting a compulsion charm on the idiots! Except I can’t do that because the one is a fucking charms master at the age of 12 dammit and would just cancel it!’ _

“One, Pansy doesn’t actually hate you.” That wasn’t what the girl wanted to hear if the panicked look in her eye was to go by. “And two. I’m pretty sure it’s not Pansy seeing as she’s secretly dating Parvati Patil from Gryffindor.” That shocked the raven haired alchemist.

“Wait, she _is_?!”

“Yep, She’s got a weird thing for ‘forbidden love affairs’ or some other odd bullshit like that, I don’t know. She’s weird like that. But it is pretty funny to see them pull one over on the Gryffindors like that I will admit. Plus Pansy’s not the type to use people by messing with their feelings so I know she’s not playing her for a fool or manipulating you into thinking she’s your admirer.” Finally the girl seemed to relax at that. “Plus I already know who your note sender actually is.” He laughed at the enraged look on her face.

“Seriously?! And you haven’t shared this why? I’ve been going insane over here for months trying to figure it out and you just- oh you lying son of a bitch!”

“Really? Hermione’s right, your language is appalling lately Harriet. And how am I a liar exactly?”

“You said you didn’t know who sent that first note when you did, didn’t you?!”  _ ‘Shit _ !’

“No, I didn’t know. I only found out now when you showed me the new letter. I noticed a difference that I missed before in the first one that made me remember where I’d seen the penmanship before. And no, I’m not telling you who it is. It would spoil the surprise plus she’d murder me in my sleep with a silver tipped quill to keep me from coming back as a ghost.” She just pouted at that, it was adorable he thought to himself.

“Seriously Harriet? You have all the clues you need to figure it out right in front of you.” He told her, handing her back the note.

He shook his head exasperatedly when he saw her owlish look at his hint.

“Merlin you’re bad at this stuff. Though I’ll blame your relatives on that, just think about it really  _ really _ hard. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” With that and a pat of his hand on her shoulder he left the room.

He just managed to hear a ‘ _ well what the hell is that supposed to mean?! _ ’ from the room before the door closed as he turned the corner.

‘ _ Honestly, there're only so many pureblood girl’s in Slytherin our year whose name starts with a letter resembling a smudged D that can freely afford to write sappy notes in silver laced ink that cost 50 galleons a bottle! _ ’

* * *

**Harriet’s P.O.V.:**

“Stupid know-it-all riddle talking git! What the hell is ‘the clues I need are in front of me’ supposed to mean?! What fucking clues! The only thing I have are the two notes and the fact it’s not Pansy! There’s a dozen other girl’s in our year in Slytherin!” She grumbled to herself later once back in her own room, turning to complaining about her troubles once more to the currently napping snake in front of her.

“Maybe I should learn Legilimency to just read his mind and get the answer from him myself..”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How long do guys think I'll be able to reasonably drag out Harriet's obliviousness in all of this? Because I'm thinking until at least the middle of third year before Draco just snaps and locks the two in a broom closet or something lol. How do you think the rest of their friend's will react to the two finally figuring it all out? Leave your thoughts in a comment below lol.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning for mention of physical abuse in their chapter: I will say here and now that the abuse Draco mention's Harriet as having gone through in this chapter is a fairly extreme example I imagine compared to canon Dursley's. That's kinda the point I wanted to establish. 
> 
> The Dursley's in my series are not the kind that were just mostly verbally and emotionally abusive towards canon Harry like they were described as being. I wanted to cement the fact that my Dursley's are the ones that built their lives around the idea of living the most normal life possible to an extreme degree, only to be forced into the situation of having to raise a child born with magic to magical parents. Harriet was basically the worst possible thing they could have imagined in their lives and they took out their anger towards her and on her in much more extreme ways then what happened to Harry in canon at least from what we're shown directly.

Exam week compared to last year was an entirely new type of hell Harriet thought to herself as she was currently a few seconds away from a possible anxiety attack.

Charms and Potions had been easy for her to nail out all things considering. DADA was a joke this year and history of magic was relatively stress free thanks to Hermione’s extra notes and advice on the subject the last week before the exam itself. 

The reason she was currently close to hyperventilating in a stall in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom on the 2nd floor was the thought of the transfiguration exam that even Hermione had mentioned she had trouble with earlier that day when she’d taken hers.

_ ‘How the fucking hell am I suppose to do well if she even had trouble?! I suck at transfiguration! _ ’ She thought to herself amidst her panic. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn’t even hear the sound of the bathroom door opening.

“Harriet?” She heard muffled to her own ears due to her raging thoughts and test anxiety induced mental panic.

She heard the footsteps draw closer until they stopped outside of the stall she was hiding away in and saw the door rattle slightly at them knocking.

“Are you okay in there?”  _ ‘Daphne _ ?’ “Draco mentioned seeing you dart in here half an hour ago. Are you okay?” Her friend asked, sounding worried.

“Y-yeah. I’m f-fine.”

‘ _ She never panics like this. She’s probably never failed a test in her life with how collected she always looks..’  _

(The Dursley’s hate it when she gets a better grade than Dudley)

“Can you open the door then? I’d rather talk to you in person than through a door if you don’t mind.” She blinked her eyes a few times, her whirling thoughts clearling slightly.

(Uncle Vernon hates when she gets stuck in her head. Hates repeating himself twice)

She slid the lock back slowly and stepped out of the stall slowly, noting the relieved look on the blonde’s face.

“Hi.” came the mumbled reply.

“Hey. Come on, we can sit over by the wall and you can get whatever has you stuck in your head so much off your chest. You look like you could use a good talk.”

A few minutes passed as they sat on the floor of the haunted bathroom while she took the time to sort out her thoughts.

(Aunt Petunia hated when she stumbled over her words, hated asking her to repeat herself)

“Sorry. I haven’t really had that bad a reaction to exams like that in years now. It’s stupid.” Daphne just shook her head, brushing off the apology.

“You don’t have to apologize to me Harriet. And it’s not stupid. Everyone gets test anxiety at some point. Just because yours hits a bit harder for you doesn’t mean you have to feel bad because it makes it more likely for the slightest thing to trigger a panic attack.”

“You never seem bothered over this stuff though. I’ve seen the other’s while we were all studying. Blaise, Draco, and Theo all looked close to tears while Hermione was one slight comment away from stabbing someone in the eye with her quill. But you never had a hair out of place! You always just sat there looking through your notes and helping the rest of us when we asked for it, and you always looked so calm!” She said slightly exasperated over her seemingly unshakable friend. Her attention was drawn to her when the girl started laughing hysterically out of nowhere.

“Seriously?! You’re jealous of my poker face? Harriet I’ve been in a state of panic for the last month over the  _ thought _ of exams.” She just stared owlishly at the girl.

“Are you kidding? B-but you’ve never asked any of us for help before really! If you were so stressed about everything why didn’t you let us know? We’re your friends, right?” She questioned somewhat hesitantly.

“Of course we’re friends Harriet. But have you seen any of you guys in class the last 2 years? Blaise and Theo are scary good in DADA, Hermione’s a damn animagus before the middle of her second year she’s so brilliant at Transfiguration and knows every fact stated in History of Magic like the back of her hand. You and Draco are damn potion’s prodigies already, not to mention you’re basically a certified fucking genius when it comes to Charms and damn scary when you get talking about Alchemy.” She felt stunned by the rare swear from her normally elegant speaking friend. “ _ I’m _ the one who’s jealous of all of  _ you _ . Not the one you should be jealous of.”

“But why? You’re just as good at Transfiguration as Hermione is and could easily nail the animagus process if you actually wanted to go through with it yourself. Draco spends half his time comparing his potion’s notes that I use in the first place to your’s most of the time to check that they’re even right. Blaise and Theo constantly quiz themselves on the stuff they learn in DADA with you and you know the content as well as both of them put together.” She took note of the blush on the girl’s cheeks at the praise she had given.

“And me having my mastery in Charms doesn’t mean I’m infallible in the subject. You’ve helped me sort through all the different spells that I kept mixing up in my head for the last 3 months. So you’re just as good at that kind of stuff as I am seeing as I have to use a memory strengthening charm to even somewhat match how good yours is without it.”

“Okay okay! You can stop with the praise please.”

“I’m being serious! You do all of that and manage to look calm through all of it despite juggling your own test anxiety the last month and here I am having a panic attack over turning a tea kettle and teacup into a kitten and a mouse for my transfiguration test along with an essay on the theory behind the spell. That’s fucking amazing if you ask me to be able to pull off.”

“You know, you’re pretty good at knowing how to talk to girls, Harriet. It’s actually pretty sweet.” She felt her face heat up at that.

“Y-you  _ know _ ?”

“That you like girls too? Yeah, I kinda pieced it together on my own after I started getting to know all of you a bit better.”

“ _ Too _ ?!” She squeaked out, feeling slightly mortified at the sound but distracted by what the girl in front of her had said.

“Yeah. My parents were kinda shocked too when I talked to them about it when I was 10. But they just went from trying to pick out a future husband for me to looking at prospective wives like it was water over a duck’s back. Not that I’d ever agree to an arranged marriage because screw that shit, but the thought is what counts I guess and they do mean well in the end. That doesn’t bother you, does it?” She actually looked  _ nervous _ at  _ her _ response to her confession.

“Of course not! I’d be a shitty excuse of a friend if I treated you differently over something like that. It doesn’t change who you are really. You’re not suddenly a different person just because of something like sexuality. You’re Daphne. Just Daphne. I don’t care who you like at the end of the day because it’s still you, and you’re one of my best friends.” She felt the girl hug her the second she stopped talking, and she wrapped her arms around her to return the hug.

“That means a lot Harriet. More than you’ll ever know..” She heard mumbled into her shoulder before the two separated again.

“Good. Huh, you came in here to comfort me in a panic and here I am comforting you of all things. I don’t really know how that works out but okay, I guess.” they both giggled out the shear absurdity of the situation.

“Oh, and Harriet? You’re gonna absolutely kill that test. Wait, you’re transfiguring live animals. Don’t actually kill it please! Poor choice of words, my bad.”

“Well that _wasn’t_ what I was worried about before but now…”

“Oh hush! You’re gonna do just fine I know it. And I’m never wrong so it’s now a fact so there.” She couldn’t help it. She started laughing hysterically at the girl’s casual declaration of her success being word.

“Oh Merlin. I needed a good laugh. And you were right, again. A good talk actually did help a lot, I feel so much better about tackling this stupid test then before.”

“See? Never wrong! Now go crush that test, nerd.” 

“All right all right, dork, I believe you. Guess I won’t have anything to worry about after all now that you’ve ensured fate with your words.” They both stood up from their spots on the floor and left the bathroom, Harriet heading towards the Transfiguration classroom feeling lighter than she had in weeks. Unbeknownst to her though Daphne was on her way to potentially strangle Draco with his own tie.

* * *

**Draco’s P.O.V.:**

“ **MALFOY**!”

He was currently running for his life at the shout of his name from an enraged Daphne Greengrass of all people running after him like he’d personally set fire to her entire wardrobe.

_ ‘I didn’t even **do** anything! Why am I always being hunted down by angry women?! _ ’ He thought to himself as he ducked into the first abandoned classroom he could find, hoping the girl had lost track of him through the winding corridors.

“There you are!” He jumped out of his skin as he whirled around and faced the irate girl.

“How do you always  **_do_ ** that?!” 

“A girl has her secrets. Is there a particular reason why you never mentioned before that the girl I happen to have a crush on was prone to ending up in the middle of a panic attack over a test? I’ve never seen someone who’s as much of a genius as she is, react that badly over the idea of a test that they could nail easily. And I think you know why she did.”

“Dammit! I didn’t think she would have one again after last year. I thought I got through to her then that she could talk to me and Hermione if she needed to.” At the girl’s raised brow he explained what little he’d found out directly from his best friend about her former living situation.

“Her relatives.” At that she seemed to connect the dots.

“What did they do to her Draco? I need to know if I’m going to be able to help her at all.” He took a deep breath, knowing it wasn’t fair to withhold this specific piece of information from his friend.

“She talked about how, whenever she and her cousin had tests in primary school before she came to Hogwarts last year, her Aunt and Uncle would get enraged if she ever brought home a better score than her pig of a cousin. She had figured out pretty quickly in the first week or two of kindergarten that being better than Dudley, her cousin, at anything was a pretty big thing to avoid less she earned her Aunt and Uncle’s anger. The only test, the first test she ever actually took, that she did better than him on, by a whopping 1 point, she still has the scars from on her palms of her hands.” She had a look of horror on her face now.

“Did she tell you what happened to cause them?” He knew she was picturing the faded scars they’d both noticed the girl had on both her hands.

“Yeah. It was apparently one of the first times they’d ever actually physically abused her over something. They made her hold up two two heavy books with a teacup on each one and told her that if she dropped either of them before the half hour was up she’d get the belt for each large piece they shatter into. She mentioned the fact that her aunt and uncle were rather creative in their punishments from that day on makes me think that it was worse afterwards.” Taking another deep breath to keep his anger and disgust at his friend’s treatment for so many years in check. 

“So, of course 6 years of being starved didn’t exactly leave her with the strength to even hold them up a third of the time. She dropped both books, and the result was 7 large fragments hence 7 lashings with her uncles belt. Then she was made to pick up the pieces by hand, and the cuts needed so many stitches at the hospital apparently that the doctor’s had said they were surprised she could even feel anything in either hand or even move her fingers at all, the nerve damage was that extensive. Took her 6 months to heal enough that she could actually write something on paper. Of course the shaking didn’t help her grades, on top of her intentionally doing worse after that.”

“So that’s why her hands shake so bad when she writes? Why her hands look like she fell in broken glass as a kid?” He nodded grimly.

“She said it was probably the worse way she’d been punished in the ten years she lived with them. She’s had some degree of nerve damage ever since that never quite healed right from the cuts. It’s not just her anxiety that causes the shaking, that just makes it worse for her. And the whole idea of trying to do well in school compared to how she was raised to do poorly…”

“It’s like trying to tell a cat to act like a dog. It’s basically a decades worth of her instincts fighting against itself. No wonder tests here freak her out so much when they’re this big. She’d been traumatized and trained into thinking she has to be bad in school and is now in front of teachers telling her to try her hardest to do good or she’d fail in life.”

“Exactly. Harriet has a lot of fucking baggage over those ten years, I already told you that part. But I didn’t explain the crap ton of trauma she’s picked up alongside that baggage. And I’m sorry for that. You should have been made aware of that from the beginning. I’ve seen her around you Daph, and she trust’s you a lot despite you two not really knowing each other until a few months ago.”

“I know she does. And I’m not going to let anything happen that makes her think for one second her trust was misplaced when she offered it to me on a silver freaking platter. So how can I help her? I don’t know how to act around people who have lived through abusive families and that kind of trauma Draco. I don’t know if the slightest thing I try to do to help is going to end up hurting her in some way.” He smiled at his friend, glad to see he wasn’t the only one who cared so much for the smaller girl.

“You do just that, Daph. Offer to help her when she needs it. Don’t treat it like you’re trying to fix her, because she’s not broken. She’s been hurt severely over the years, but she’s not broken. She’ll let you know if you’re doing something wrong or so.” She nodded her head.

“Okay, that I can handle. I can handle helping someone heal, even if it’s only slightly and not something that can ever really be healed all the way in the end.”

“And that’s why I think you two actually have a chance together at all. You already get how to help her when she needs it Daph. That girl has the emotional range of a niffler, but you still know how to actually handle someone like her. Not a lot of people can necessarily say the same thing. Not with someone like Harriet.”

“I’m gonna send her another note. At the start of third year. If she react’s well, then I’ll take a chance and tell her the truth. If not, I’ll wait a bit longer then. I’ll wait however long it takes her to connect the dots and to figure out her own feelings more. She’s got enough on her mind right now between exams, her Alchemy mastery in the end of June, and all the stuff that’s happened this year. A relationship wouldn’t be the best thing for her right now.”

“You’re right about that, and I think next year will be the perfect time for her to have something more positive to focus on, you’re right. Do you know what classes you’re planning to take next year?”

“Yeah actually I do. Care of magical creatures and Arithmancy. Why are you grinning like that now?”

“No reason. Other than the fact you and Harriet will have Care of Magical Creatures together, since she loves learning about different magical animals. Plus the fact that Harriet is going to possibly tackle you herself next year at the mention of the arithmancy. She’s got a thing I’m sure you’ve noticed for people who show their brains regularly. If it wasn’t for the fact that she’s limited to three next year and is already taking care, ancient runes, and Alchemy officially now she would have lunged at the chance to study arithmancy.” He ignored her glare at the comment.

“Come on Daph! We all know you’re smart, Harriet certainly does. You taking arithmancy is just going to equal you actually showing off that brain of yours. And we both know full well that Harriet has a weird fixation on people being smart and actually acting it. I’d be willing to bet 100 galleons that this time next year you’re going to end up winning her over. If not I’ll kiss a troll.”

“She’s not some prize to be won, Draco! I don’t want to date her because of my brain or whatever. I’m trying to actually be nice to her for a reason dammit.” He held up his hands in an appeasing way.

“Sorry, sorry. Not what I was trying to say at all. Just that I wouldn’t be surprised if I was you, if her opinion happens to change from ‘Daphne’s my friend’ to 'mind melt' or something. I’m pretty sure that’s why she had a slight crush on Granger earlier in the year, the girl flaunting her brain’s around so much probably made Harriet’s brain shutdown at the idea. Plus she’s always liked the idea of blonde’s proving their smarts in front of others which is exactly what you’ll be doing next year. I’m telling you, she’ll be unable to keep her eyes to herself anymore. The matchmaker is never wrong..”

She flicked him in the forehead.

“Ow! What is with you women beating me up so much? I try to help you and I get assaulted for the effort.”

“Oh shut up Draco. We’d better get back to the common room before Harriet gets done with her exam. Don’t want her to know you’re plotting her dating life behind her back now do you?”

At that they both darted out the door and headed back to the common room in time for Harriet to not be left suspicious.

* * *

**Harriet’s P.O.V. (first day back from Hogwarts):**

“Draco’s planning something this year. I can _feel_ it…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so who's willing to take that bet against Draco do you think? Because the boy could use some new dragonskin boots and 200 galleons is sure to pay for the good kind lol. After dealing with these idiots the last few month's he could use a reward to keep his stress from raising any more lol.


	10. Shocking realizations, vows made, and snake puberty talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I never thought the above title could possibly apply to this series but here we are last chapter of year 2....

It was the first half of August, and Harriet was currently standing in the Malfoy manor foyer along with Sirius, Lucius and Professor Prince in front of them. 

“You what?!” Professor Prince grimaced slightly at the tone in her dad’s voice but pressed on. 

“We are requesting a meeting on behalf of the Dark Lord, whom you are no doubt aware by now has returned under the name of Thomas Slytherin. He has requested the girl’s presence to discuss a series of matters concerning the war between Dumbledore and his own efforts to erase the corrupted current Ministry of magic.” She had to give the dungeon bat credit, he didn’t hesitate in the wake of Sirius’ no doubt boiling temper.

“And why would he want her exactly? To kill her and stop Dumbledore from using her to campaign against him?”

“As if either of us would allow such a thing to happen, Sirius. The girl is family, and both of us protect the ones we consider family with our lives.” Sirius looked slightly mollified at Lucius' words.

“She is not to be harmed by any of his followers, nor does he desire to inflict said harm upon her himself. He has learned of her being a Parselmouth and has revealed the existence of a number of plans he had begun to implement that require the use of two Parselmouths. He has declared that only the girl will be informed of the plan with the express knowledge that none are to be made aware of its existence but those she trusts irrefutably.“

“I’ll do it.” The three men each turned to her at once, looking a mixture of shocked and surprised. “If he needs my trait to understand serpents, then whatever he’s planning is something big, and more than likely it ties into Salazar Slytherin’s past in some way or another. No other wizard would have something surrounding them that requires several Parselmouths. I’m willing to hear him out, if he’s willing to accept the fact that I’m not joining him until I’ve had a chance to consider his words. And that my friend’s are not to be targeted in any way by him or his followers. One of them already attacked my one friend with a fucking Ijiraq last year. I’m not helping him in any way unless he vows to protect them from the war on his side of the fighting.”

“Done.” At that they all turned quickly towards the door currently holding the form of a young Tom Slytherin. 

“As Severus said, Miss Black, I have no desire to harm you in any way, including threatening the safety of your friends and loved ones. There are much bigger things shifting in the background that require my attention. Things I require your assistance with, and I have no interest in forcing you to comply when you already clearly despise our mutual enemy. Do you agree to hear me out then?”

“Swear it.” He actually looked shocked at her words, only to look slightly amused a second later. “I need more than an empty word if I’m putting the lives of everyone I care about in your hands with your little war. I don’t trust people easily, _Tom_. I blame it on your Horcrux currently stitched into my soul.” He raised an eyebrow at her casual mention of her being a vessel for his soul fragment. “I need a vow or I’m stepping through that floo and leaving.”

“So Severus informed you of what really happened that night, did he? No matter, no matter. It changes little besides providing another bit of proof to you that I have no intention of harming you. You’re carrying a part of my soul, Harriet. If you die I would be the one to suffer for it most in this world.” She had to admit he raised a fair point.

“And what will _you_ swear in exchange for such a vow? Such a act of trust is a two way street after all, I’m not the only one who’s going to be putting their life in another’s hand today.”

“My word that I won’t serve Dumbledore’s side or interfere in your plans as long as my friend’s aren’t involved. And that I’ll consider helping you once I hear what you have to say, that I won’t just ignore it and actually think about it afterwards.”

“Miss Black-”

“A fair trade I believe, and one I can allow in light of things. Your friends' and loved ones assured safety for the potential future assurance of your aid. Take out. Your wand, Severus.”

He began moving his wand over their clasped hands in the motions of the vow to be made. 

“Will you, Thomas Slytherin, vow to guard the lives of those Harriet Black holds dear? To ensure their safety in the war to come?”

“I will.” A single fiery line shot out of the tip of Severus’ wand and wrapped around both clasped arms, sealing the first promise.

“And will you, Harriet Black, vow to not aid in Albus Dumbledore’s plans for the war, or to seek any way to interfere with the Dark Lord’s plans, so long as they do not risk your loved one’s? That you will consider his words in earnest.”

“I will.” The vow was sealed with the 2nd stream of fiery light that bound itself as well and they both dropped their arms the moment it faded into their skin.

“Okay. What do you have to say? Might as well get it out now, everyone in this room is already on the list of people I trust enough to tell them so there’s little point to hiding it from any of them right now.”

He explained to her the horrifying conclusions he had discovered decades ago in Salazar Slytherin’s private journals he had gathered over the last 50 years.

“The very magic of the British isles and in fact the entire world is weakening slowly with the death of the old traditions, the noble houses whose members have held the connection between magic itself and our world. The sacred 28, so to speak. Their presence in the last thousand years served as the tether within the British Isles that served to hold magic in place and prevent it from fading.”

“But the traditions are dying slowly now. Noble families are thinning more and more each generation, doesn’t that mean that magic is slowly weakening around us? That the newer muggle traditionalists flooding our society is weakening those customs?” 

“That is exactly what is happening Harriet. If it continues, if the houses are allowed to die off entirely and with them the tether holding magic to the British isles…” She felt her eyes widen in horror at what he was suggesting.

“Then magic will die entirely.” He nodded grimly.

“Yes.”

“But what does that have to do with me? Why am I needed for you to save magic itself?! I’m 13! You’re one of the most powerful wizards in history! What can I possibly do that you couldn’t easily manage on your own?!”

“At least she’s not got that Gryffindor ego her father had. Right Severus?” Turning back to her. “It is not the salvation of magic, you are needed for, girl. It is uncovering the method to save it. Salazar’s notes are in which I found the truth of the problem, of the cataclysm. And it is within a different set of notes written by him that I believe he kept the solution he had uncovered shortly before his death.” 

“A secret archive I assume? He’s always struck me as the one out of the 4 founders to like having little stashes around the world where he kept his favorite toys and secrets.” He smiled a slightly proud grin at that.

“Rather astute for your age aren’t you?”

“I have double masteries already in Alchemy and charms. Severus mentioned possibly applying for a third in potions after I graduate. Set a reasonable goal and all that.” And didn’t that leave him shocked?

Turning towards his followers…

“She’s a Slytherin, my Lord. Ambition and cunning are our way of life after all.”

“I take it you still have to track down the archives first? The one we need to both be present to actually open?” At his nod she continued. “Fine, let Severus know when you do, I need to worry about my first classes this year. I'll help if my friend's are willing to stand with me on this…”

‘ _ And the secret admirer situation is still going on. Maybe I can ask Daphne when the term start’s for her opinion of who it is. She is the expert on this stuff out of the two of us.. _ ’

She thought to herself, oblivious as to the nature of her admirer’s identity.

* * *

**Draco’s P.O.V. (day before term starts):**

He was going to end up dead at this rate. His friend’s were literally going to cause his stress levels to finally kill him.

They were all gathered in his family’s foyer after both Black’s showed up requesting a group meeting.

That was how it was revealed what his best friend had gotten involved in with a certain Dark Lord.

“You made an _unbreakable vow_ with the _**Dark Lord**_?! Are you insane?! Wait, don’t answer that. You’re a Black that’s kinda expected now that I think about it and all the stuff you seem to find ways to get into the last two years.”

“I don’t actually blame her, Draco. She was trying to protect all of us from this war that’s coming however she could. I sure as hell would do everything possible to keep the people I care about safe even if it amounts to making a deal with the devil.” Daphne of all people spoke up in their friend’s defense of her actions. Harriet’s shoulders relaxed at the sight of someone on her side.

‘ _ And she just settled it. I give it a month before Harriet’s left with a severe case of feelings for Daphne, even if she’s too oblivious to realize or do anything with them. _ ’

“Daphne’s right.” Blaise spoke up with Theo nodding his head from beside the boy. “Harriet will do anything to protect what’s hers, and somehow we all happen to fit into that rather small group. We can't just ask her to not take a chance to protect us from possible harm, it's not fair of us to ask that of her when we'd all do the same thing in her position. We’re with you little raven, we aren’t going to ditch you just because things are starting to pick up now. It sounds kinda fun actually. You always did have the weirdest ability to find the chaotic fun.” She had a nervous grin on her face at the sight of all her friend’s nodding their heads in agreement.

“So until the Dark Lord sends a message regarding the archives, we just continue with life like normal? Focus on classes and such I guess.” Draco posed the question to all of them and took note of their nods in the affirmative.

“Okay then. As of now we’re all on the Dark Lord’s side of this mess it seems. Things should be fun I think?” At that the room broke down into laughter.

* * *

**Harriet’s P.O.V.:**

She officially had the greatest friend’s ever, she thought to herself once back in her room at Grimmauld Place the night before they were all due back at Hogwarts for their third year.

‘ _ This year is going to be chaotic. I can tell already. Why does that thought not worry me like it would have a year ago? _ ’ But she knew exactly why it didn’t, the image of her friend’s supporting her fresh in her mind keeping her nerves sedated for once. If that mental image just happened to focus slightly more on the girl with blue eyes and blonde hair, then she was going to carefully ignore the possible meaning behind it. 

~ **_Things are changing Naga. War is coming, and I don’t know how it will change everything. I don’t know who’s going to die in it all. Because I’m not stupid, not about this. People always die in a war, on both sides. I just don’t know what I’ll do if one of them is someone I care about. I only just found all of them, I can’t lose them now._ ** ~ She reached her hand out when she felt his head move onto her leg and rested it on his back, rubbing the smooth scales of her oldest friend.

~ **_War alwayss takess cassualtiess on both ssidess Little One...and thiss one will be no different….but you’ll protect the oness you care about with your life. You will not go through anymore loss Little Sspeaker. I won’t let you….I will bite anyone who threatenss the oness that are yourss…_ ** ~

~ **_You really need to stop spending so much time in the Potion’s lab with Uncle Sev. Because he’s giving you way too many pointers for giving good pep talks and I’m starting to worry that my depression will move out if you keep cheering me up so well whenever I’m doubting myself. Where will it go then? A motel?_ ** ~ Naga just swiped her in the arm with his tail at her cheeky comment.

~ **_And you need to limit your time with the blonde boy. He is making you too ssarcasstic. You are too young...little hatchling, to know ssuch wayss of life already. You have not even come into your fangss yet...hatchlingss do not need to know ssuch thingss of the world yet…_ ** ~ At that she felt her eyes widen.

~ **_Wait- Fangs?! I’m going to get fangs?!_ ** ~ He looked unamused at her lack of reading up more on her Parselmouth trait.

~ **_It is a part of maturity Little Sspeaker...your fangss will come in most likely once you have finisshed growing, however little more that may be yet...and your venom will follow sshortly…_ ** ~

~ **_VENOM?!_ ** ~ She shouted. Well, as much as the hissing could be attributed to shouting.

~ **_It is mild when you are young...but gainss potency when you age further. Our bond will render it a similar hallucinogenic like my own. Ssuch thingss are eassily influenced by factorss as growing up around another venomouss sserpent._ ** ~

~ **_Um...they’re not just going to be showing up randomly, right? I’ll be able to control them from popping out whenever they want to?_ ** ~

~ **_You are worried about a future mate?_ ** ~ She blushed crimson at her snake’s casual use of the word mate.

~ **_Shut up! It’s not my fault that the idea of sending the first person I kiss to the hospital wing because of being a teenage Parselmouth has me freaking out a bit now!_ ** ~ She glared at the laughing snake beside her.

~ **_You need not worry, Little Sspeaker. The firsst time is often ssudden due to emotional disstress of some form causing them to break through your gums the first time, but afterwardss they will only appear when you chosse for them to. They will be a part of you, and will not act on their own like others would assume._ ** ~ She let out a somewhat relieved breath at that.

~ **_Anything else I need to know before parselmouth puberty starts being a pain in my ass?_ ** ~ Merlin’s beard he actually looked like he was trying to remember if there  _ was _ in fact more.

‘ _ If I start forming scales or lose my nose I’m murdering someone… _ ’

~ **_There is the developed immunity you will sslowly gain over time to variouss typess of venomouss ssubstancess and poissonss. We are very ressilient to our own venom after all…_ ** ~

~ **_Huh. That actually sounds really helpful to know I won’t be accidentally poisoning myself anytime soon._ ** ~

~ **_Your venom will also stimulate a strong calming effect in yourself if ingested. The effect is greatly dulled compared to in other humans but will still have a mild hallucinogenic effect. I believe the muggles have a term for the effect, being ‘high’?_ ** ~ She fell back on her bed laughing hysterically at the confused tone of her grumpy snake.

~ **_Wait- I can get myself high on my own venom? And it’s like a strong calming draught? That might actually prove helpful to have a diluted version of for exam week. I wonder if I can figure out a way to incorporate that stuff into an overall stronger version of a typical calming draught. Merlin knows the current one’s Uncle Sev tries to brew doesn't really have much effect on me. Something to think about when that stuff comes in eventually. Would you mind if I ran a few tests on a few samples of your venom in the meanwhile since it’s apparently similar to how mine will work?_ ** ~

~ **_I do not mind at all Litlte Sspeaker….if it helps you be able to relax more in times of stress I will happily offer my assistance…_ ** ~

By the end of the next hour she had several vials of newly acquired Jeweled Viper venom in her potion’s compartment of her trunk packed away and ready for testing once she was at Hogwarts.

‘ _I might have just figured out the basis for my potion’s mastery...snake's make awesome potion’s assistant. Who knew?_ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Next chapter will have the first physical appearance from Remus because I wanted to change the fact that he was fired because of his Lycanthropy coming out now that Harriet has a way of helping him deal with it farm more effectively thanks to her charm she developed for her mastery in the middle of 2nd year. Especially since Peter's already been dealt with and won't cause the plot which triggers Remus being outed in the first place, nor will Barty Jr. be needed the next year for the whole Voldemort revival thing. I'm also going to include the fact that Tom lifted the curse on the position when he finds out her godfather applied for the job because not doing so and possibly getting him killed would break the vow and kill Tom as well so no more curse lol. 
> 
> Third year is going to go a very different route from canon and by yule we get to see the introduction of an original character to this story that I've been planning to add in since I first thought of this series a month ago lol. And they are going to so spend a ton of time annoying Tom lol. They'll be playing a very important part briefly in this year and a much bigger one once the war starts actively happening around year 5.
> 
> There will still be the triwiazrd tournament however and Harriet will entered into it in the end, just not by the person you're used to or for the reasons you might expect. And Barty jr will eventually still show up in this series along with Bellatrix because I love both their characters and Harriet needs some crazy Death Eater friends to hang out with in my opinion lol.


End file.
